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Ploonet

  • 18 Jul 2019
  • 1 min read
  • Astronomers have defined a new class of celestial objects called "Ploonets," which are orphaned moons that have escaped the bonds of their planetary parents.
    • Planet + moon = Ploonet.
  • The researchers explain that the angular momentum between the planet and its moon results in the moon escaping the gravitational pull of its parent.
  • A new study suggests that the moons of gas-giant exoplanets may break away into their own orbits.
  • As the gas giants move inward toward their suns, the orbits of their moons are often disrupted, according to new computer models.
  • The scientists think these objects should exist in solitary orbits around their host stars and could even be discovered in observations from past and present exoplanet-hunting surveys, like Kepler and TESS.
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