NASA’s planet-hunting telescope TESS has made an exciting new discovery, spotting its first ever rogue planet. This elusive find was uncovered within the analysis of a whopping 1.3 million light curves collected by TESS, showcasing the power and potential of this groundbreaking instrument.
Rogue planets are notoriously difficult to detect, as they are cold, small, and tend to fade into the background of space. However, using the technique of microlensing, researchers were able to pinpoint this rogue planet orbiting the star TIC-107150013, located an impressive 10,400 light-years away. The microlensing event lasted a mere 107 minutes, but it was enough to confirm the existence of this mysterious planet.
Lead researchers Michelle Kunimoto and William DeRocco from MIT and the University of California, Santa Cruz are at the forefront of this discovery, shedding light on the characteristics of this rogue planet. Estimates suggest that it is smaller than 10 times the mass of Earth if within 8,500 light-years, and roughly the same mass as Earth if within 3,200 light-years.
This groundbreaking find opens up a new realm of possibilities for researchers, as TESS has the ability to probe a mass range of free-floating planets that other instruments cannot. With plans to investigate 100 times more observations, TESS aims to deepen our understanding of how rogue planets form and exist in the vast expanse of space.
The discovery paper has been submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available to read on ArXiv, showcasing the collaborative efforts and groundbreaking research behind this milestone. With TESS leading the way, the future of planet-hunting looks brighter than ever.
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