News Astronomy

Moons that escape their planets could become ‘ploonets’

Current telescopes may be able to find the wandering worlds

THAT’S NO MOON  Comets around distant stars, shown in this artist’s illustration, could be explained by “ploonets” — moons that were freed from their orbits around migrating gas giants.

LYNNETTE COOK/Fuse/NASA

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

Meet ploonets: planets of moonish origin.

In other star systems, some moons could escape their planets and start orbiting their stars instead, new simulations suggest.