tech
January 3, 2026
Researchers spot Saturn-sized planet in the “Einstein desert”
Rogue, free-floating planets appear to have two distinct origins.
TL;DR
- A Saturn-sized rogue planet was discovered using the microlensing technique, marking the first such planet found in the "Einstein desert."
- The discovery was facilitated by observations from the Gaia space telescope, which provided multiple views of the microlensing event over a short period.
- Gaia's position at the L2 Lagrange point allowed for parallax measurements, determining the event's distance.
- The "Einstein desert" refers to a gap in planet sizes detected through microlensing, with smaller planets clustered at one end and larger planets at the other.
- The two proposed formation mechanisms for rogue planets are gravitational ejection from exosolar systems and failed star formation processes.
- The detected planet's size aligns with the upper limit of planets ejected from systems or potentially represents a new category of rogue planet.
- Further microlensing observations are needed to confirm the reality and significance of the "Einstein desert" due to the rarity of these events.
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