Dec 31, 2023 03:08 PM
https://earthsky.org/space/jumbos-rogue-...bula-webb/
INTRO (excerpts): Late December and January are a grand time to view the constellation Orion the Hunter. It’s recognizable for Orion’s three Belt stars, three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row. When you see Orion, think about these recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope of the star-forming Orion Nebula.
Scientists released the images in the fall of 2023. The images showcase the inner portions of the famous nebula, including the hot young stars in the Trapezium Cluster. The two mosaics are among the largest obtained so far by Webb. They show intricate details of dust, gas, stars and protoplanetary disks within the nebula. They are included in the ESASky application, where you can explore and download the images.
The new images also revealed something new and unexpected: large planet-mass objects drifting on their own inside the nebula. Indeed, astronomers have discovered a growing number of rogue planets floating in our galaxy in interstellar space, unbound to any stars. Some of these objects, however, are rather peculiar. Surprisingly, these ones are binary, drifting in pairs. How did that happen? Astronomers are calling them Jupiter Mass Binary Objects, or “JuMBOs.” Current theories of planet and star formation say they shouldn’t exist. Yet they do.
[...] There is a preprint version of the paper available, published on arXiv. Both this preprint as well as a preprint of the other paper covering the overall Webb survey of the Orion Nebula are also available on the website of the other co-lead author, Mark McCaughrean at ESA... (MORE - details)
INTRO (excerpts): Late December and January are a grand time to view the constellation Orion the Hunter. It’s recognizable for Orion’s three Belt stars, three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row. When you see Orion, think about these recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope of the star-forming Orion Nebula.
Scientists released the images in the fall of 2023. The images showcase the inner portions of the famous nebula, including the hot young stars in the Trapezium Cluster. The two mosaics are among the largest obtained so far by Webb. They show intricate details of dust, gas, stars and protoplanetary disks within the nebula. They are included in the ESASky application, where you can explore and download the images.
The new images also revealed something new and unexpected: large planet-mass objects drifting on their own inside the nebula. Indeed, astronomers have discovered a growing number of rogue planets floating in our galaxy in interstellar space, unbound to any stars. Some of these objects, however, are rather peculiar. Surprisingly, these ones are binary, drifting in pairs. How did that happen? Astronomers are calling them Jupiter Mass Binary Objects, or “JuMBOs.” Current theories of planet and star formation say they shouldn’t exist. Yet they do.
[...] There is a preprint version of the paper available, published on arXiv. Both this preprint as well as a preprint of the other paper covering the overall Webb survey of the Orion Nebula are also available on the website of the other co-lead author, Mark McCaughrean at ESA... (MORE - details)