Did you know not all planets orbit a star? It’s true! Some planets travel through space on their own, floating
in whichever direction gravity pulls them. We call these untethered flying objects rogue planets.
What is a rouge planet?
How many rogue planets are there? No one is quite sure. However, experts say there may be billions in the Milky
Way galaxy alone. In fact, they now believe there could be more rogue planets in our galaxy than there are
stars.
Because rogue planets are in constant motion and do not give off light, they’re difficult to detect. However,
NASA now hopes to find these roaming nomads with a new device. It’s called the Nancy Grace Roman Space
Telescope.
How does a rogue planet become . . . well, rogue? Does it just decide to set off on its own one day? Wave
goodbye to its star and set out into the great unknown? No, of course not! Instead, many are forced out of
their solar system by the gravity of another planet or star. They may also simply form on their own,
separate from any star.
What would it be like to stand on the surface of a rogue planet?
The conditions on these celestial objects are still largely a mystery. However, experts agree that they’re much
different from Earth—or any other planet with a normal orbit, for that matter. Since rogue planets don’t move
around a star, they have no daylight. Instead, they exist in constant night. That means they also have little
warmth and are icy worlds.
