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NASA researchers are intrigued by a mysterious floating mass in space

Space really is the final frontier as there are unknown elements that float in the nothingness, a new one adds to the list of mysteries.

BY MAHALEKSHMI P

UPDATED MAR 26, 2025

Illustration of a protoplanetary disk, a rotating disk of dense gas and dust particles surrounding a newly formed star. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty | VICTOR de SCHWANBERG)

A floating mass in space has captured the attention of scientists due to its mysterious origins. NASA has put its James Webb Space telescope on the job of figuring out the exact nature of the mass. This free-floating planetary-mass object is called SIMP 0136. This mass is the size of Jupiter and was first noticed in 2003, traveling on an unpredictable path. It goes through the cosmos without a central star to orbit around it.

Engineers and technicians assemble the James Webb Space Telescope November 2, 2016 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Astronomers initially assumed that SIMP 0136 was a rogue planet or a planet that floats freely without being in the orbit of a star. However, certain observations have changed the nature of what it really is. Experts believe that it could be a Brown dwarf, also known as a failed star. They are formed by the collapse of gas clouds without enough weight for nuclear fission, the important step in becoming a “true” star. A team of researchers observed variations in its brightness from the telescope data and it must be the cause of a complex combination of atmospheric factors.

Deep sky image of Cygnus area including the bright alpha star Deneb and famous deep sky objects such as North America Nebula, Pelican Nebula and Butterfly Nebula. (Representative Photo by Haitong Yu/Getty Images)

The researchers analyzed two SIMP 0136 rotations and published their findings in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. By monitoring a broad spectrum of infrared light emitted over these two full rotation periods, the team detected variations in cloud layers, temperature, and carbon chemistry. This is the result of James Webb as its Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) show these hidden features. Emissions of light appear from within the atmosphere of the object and from the upper atmosphere in various wavelengths.

The Tadpoles Nebula, IC410, is a HII emission region located in Auriga constellation. It lies some 10,000 light-years away from us. (Representative Photo by Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images)

The band of infrared light originating deep within the atmosphere is likely the cause of iron particles. Whereas the light from the upper atmosphere could have the presence of silicate clusters. Some brighter light patches might represent SIMP 0136’s version of an aurora as well. NASA reported that the object is isolated and so is not contaminated by light or variability caused by a host star. Its small rotation durations of just 2.4 hours are also easily and efficiently surveyed. The question remains of its identity and James Webb has initial data to categorize it.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured the distinct signature of water, along with evidence for clouds and haze, in the atmosphere surrounding a hot, puffy gas giant planet orbiting a distant Sun-like star on July 12, 2022 in space. (Photo by NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI via Getty Images)

"We haven’t really figured out the chemistry part of the puzzle yet," commented Johanna Vos, the study's principal investigator. "But these results are really exciting because they are showing us that the abundances of molecules like methane and carbon dioxide could change from place to place and over time. If we are looking at an exoplanet and can get only one measurement, we need to consider that it might not be representative of the entire planet," Vos added. Observing the rotation, hundreds of detailed light curves show the change in brightness and color of light.

A person using their mobile phone connected to a telescope to capture the eclipse during the total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025 in San Salvador, El Salvador. (Photo by APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images)

“Imagine watching Earth from far away. If you were to look at each color separately, you would see different patterns that tell you something about its surface and atmosphere, even if you couldn’t make out the individual features,” explained co-author Philip Muirhead, of Boston University. There are various factors affecting the brightness and dimness of colors along with distinct light-curve shapes. However, these models are taking us one step closer to what the mass might be. This research is a part of Webb’s General Observer Program 3548.