Astronomy Cast · Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

Ep. 747: Rogue Planets

March 17, 2025·29 min·2 clips
Astronomers found binary Jupiter-mass objects free-floating in space, defying expectations of how rogue planets form.
Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay explore rogue planets, free-floating objects in space that may outnumber stars. They discuss how astronomers detect them through microlensing and infrared observations, recent discoveries of binary systems, and theories about their formation. The episode also touches on the potential for life on these planets and challenges in space science funding.

As heard by us

A brisk look at how planets get kicked out, and how some may leave in pairs.

The episode traces rogue planets from worlds that may be shed by young systems to the trickier case of binary planets that stay tied together.

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Why you'd press play

You want a weird, concrete look at rogue planets and how they get ejected.

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