Record-breaking planet grows faster than ever before
Astronomers have just observed a rogue planet called Cha 1107-7626, floating 620 light-years away, devouring gas and dust at a record-breaking pace—about six billion tons every second.
By August this year, its growth rate jumped eight times higher, making it the fastest-growing planetary-mass object ever recorded.
Planet shines brighter, similar to young stars
Cha 1107-7626 has sudden growth bursts that make it shine three to six times brighter, similar to what happens with young stars.
Magnetic activity appears to have played a role in driving these outbursts, and scientists even found water vapor in its disk—something usually seen when stars are forming.
Discovery challenges our understanding of planetary formation
This discovery shakes up what we thought we knew about how planets form.
Turns out, some rogue planets might actually grow in ways similar to stars—not just quietly drifting through space.
It's a big clue that these lonely worlds are way more active and interesting than we realized.