STRAY PLANETS

     (Hubble Space Telescope Image)
(Continued from yesterday)

Astronomers at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands announced early this year about their new study suggesting there are some 50 billion free floating planets in our Milky Way galaxy. It is calculated that about quarter of Milky Way stars have lost one or more planets. These planets are free floating in our galaxy. A few decades ago no one thought about these rogue bodies. Now millions of galaxies put together the numbers of these are mind blowing. Collisions among planets and their host star are common. This happens in more than three per cent of planetary systems. Scientists think that our own solar system might have lost one or two planets, probably less massive than Neptune, earlier in its youth. The ejection of planets from their home planetary systems might be more common in denser star clusters ( The Trapezium star cluster is considered a 'looser' cluster), since more frequent encounters between stars in dense clusters will make the planetary systems unstable. But the study of the Trapezium cluster shows that planets leave their home systems in loose clusters as well.

The existence of 200 billion stars in our galaxy, and an even greater number of planets, is difficult enough to wrap our minds around. The idea of anothe 50 billion planets just floating around, not bound to any stars, is even more incredible. It must sound like science fiction, but, if astronomers at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands are right, these 50 billion rogue planets do exist. Rogue planets are not easy to detect, but as astronomers learn more about them, they will be able to find more in the coming years. If this new study is any indication, there are many of them awaiting discovery.

(Concluded)

(Indebted to EarthSky, article by Paul Scott Anderson in Space)

KV George
kvgeorgein@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POVERTY LEVEL OF INDIA - A COMPARISON BETWEEN INDIAN REPORT AND UNDP REPORT

Image
According to the estimate of Ojha 190 million (44%) people of India were below poverty line in 1961. While the extreme poverty line in our country went from 60% in 1981 to 33% in 2010. People below poverty line in India in 1999-2000 came to 26%. Poverty line recorded in India in 2021 was 11.9%. India's poverty line declined to 4.5%-5% in 2022-23 with rural poverty declining to 7.2% and urban poverty down to 4.6%. By 2024 the poverty level is found to have come down to 2.4%. (The above informations are gathered from various websources. In case the readers want total accuracy in the above reports, they are requested to approach the related government sources) Further to the above information, here it is submitted - National Multidimensional Poverty Index, A Progress Review 2023 of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) According to the report, 135 million people escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015-16.and 2019-2021  The country registered a significant decli
Read more

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Image
 Just think about  When you feed a hungry one, you can see God on his face  ഒന്നു ചിന്തിച്ചു നോക്കൂ  വിശക്കുന്നവനു ഭക്ഷണം നൽകുമ്പോൾ ആ മുഖത്തു ദൈവത്തെ കാണാം. K V George 
Read more

DO WE NEED TRADE UNIONS ANY MORE?

Image
Finally the communist government have forced to impose curbs on the Trade Unions in the state to mitigate the unbearable actions taken by them. Trade Unions have come into being when employees were put on hardships by the employers. The time have been changed since then. Now it is our own government and our own laws. All safety, security and welfare measures are ensured for the employee of all types. No third party is now required to safeguard justice for employees. Appropriate forums are established for employees to register their complaints either singularly or jointly. Therefore, as far as employees are concerned, they do not need any assistance from Trade Unions today. Trade Unions are now functioning as power centres of political parties. If the government is willing to stand with the people, then they can ban all Trade Unions activities in the state/country. Trade Unions today make negative contributions to the economy of the state and the country as a whole. Infact t
Read more