A gluttonous planet has been discovered, growing every second

Astronomers have detected a very strong accretion event, the most powerful ever recorded for a planetary-mass object. The rogue planet Cha 1107-7626 devoured approximately six billion tons of gas and dust every second for several months.

A rogue planet is a free-floating mass that drifts through space and doesn’t orbit a single star. It is located 620 light-years away and is currently 5-10 times larger than Jupiter, though it’s still in its infancy.

Over the course of several weeks, the rate of mass accretion around this world increased almost eightfold and peaked in August. Scientists were puzzled by this fact, as such growth spurts typically occur during the earliest stages of planet formation, when planets are shrouded in dense, invisible dust.

According to study co-author Dr. Alexander Scholz of the University of St. Andrews, this surge is likely the final stage of growth for Cha 1107-7626, as it has almost completed its growth.

We previously reported that NASA will build a settlement on the Moon.

To be continued…