News Astronomy

Astronomers saw a rogue planet going through a rapid growth spurt

It’s the fastest growth rate ever observed in a planet

A rogue planet, which doesn’t orbit a star, was caught during a growth spurt (illustrated), sucking up surrounding gas and dust at a rate of 6 billion metric tons per second.

ESO/L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser

By McKenzie Prillaman

A rogue planet some 600 light-years away has been going through a growth spurt, gobbling up gas and dust at a rate of 6 billion metric tons per second, researchers report in the Oct.