“Physics says you can’t even make objects that small.”
Jumbo Discovery
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery that challenges our understanding of the universe. The telescope has spotted hundreds of Jupiter Mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs) floating in space without any apparent connection to a star. These objects appeared in pairs and have left astronomers puzzled.
The observation was made during a recent survey of the Orion Nebula, and astronomers believe this finding could revolutionize our current models of planetary system formation.
Heidi Hammel, a multidisciplinary scientist and JWST scientist, expressed her astonishment at the discovery. “My reactions ranged from: ‘Whaaat?!?’ to ‘Are you sure?’ to ‘That’s just so weird!’ to ‘How could binaries be ejected together?'” she told the BBC.
Scientists have put forward two possible explanations for this phenomenon. One possibility is that these JuMBOs are proto-planets that haven’t fully formed yet. Another theory suggests that they originated in solar systems but were later ejected into interstellar space.
“We were looking for these very small objects and we found them,” said Mark McCaughrean, a senior adviser for science and exploration at the European Space Agency. “We find them down as small as one Jupiter mass, even half a Jupiter mass, floating freely, not attached to a star.”
However, this discovery challenges the laws of physics. “Physics says you can’t even make objects that small,” McCaughrean added. “We wanted to see, can we break physics? And I think we have, which is good.”
While these objects have some similarities to planets, such as a hot atmosphere with steam and methane, experts emphasize that they are technically not classified as planets.
McCaughrean used an analogy to explain the distinction. “Most of us don’t have time to get wrapped up in this debate about what is a planet and what isn’t a planet,” he said. “It’s like my cat is a chihuahua-mass pet. But it’s not a chihuahua, it’s a cat.”
The favored theory at the moment is that these JuMBOs were ejected from their original solar systems. However, the fact that they were found in pairs complicates the explanation. “But how do you kick out pairs of these things together?” McCaughrean questioned. “Right now, we don’t have an answer. It’s one for the theoreticians.”
With this groundbreaking discovery, the James Webb Space Telescope continues to provide valuable insights into the mysteries of the universe.
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