Small Travellers
When we think of planets that reside in our immediate system, we think of set orbits and gravitational fields. But as we know, nothing is absolute in space and we are discovering new and peculiar things every day. Poking and prodding at the enigma that is space yields interesting results. Space observation is a complex process that deduces much meaning from limited resources. While the most advanced technology on our planet is used to observe space, this is still but a drop in an ocean that is immense and wide. Astronomers have caught sight of a small exoplanet that are an incredibly rare sight to observe.
Sight by Chance
Small in size, these planets are currently difficult to catch using our existing tools but the chance discovery revealed that these small exoplanets are able to freely float, almost as wandering travellers of space. It’s thought that such planets are many but still hard to detect. Current discovery methods include telescopes for detection and observation. Not ideal but it works to some degree. There are a number of other methods used to detect these exoplanets all with their own limitations.
Exiled Wanderer
The approach used a telescope to observe many starts at once. This is many magnitudes higher than one might expect, reaching the millions. I would see this as a more macro approach that is refined using data analysis for resolution, detecting certain patterns in the various samples to spot anomalies. It’s thought that these planets come from traditional settings but were evicted due to bigger bodies in their system. One might call these planets as exiled or outsiders. Yet again, chance discoveries give a new life to further discoveries and theories.
Sources