some exoplanets, also called rogue or orphan planets, are free-floating because they are not gravitationally bound to a star.
These planets likely form in the same way as other planets, but some may have been ejected from their original star systems, while others may form in isolation from their own gas clouds, similar to how stars form.
Formation Ejection from a star system: Planetary systems can be unstable, and gravitational interactions can lead to planets being ejected and sent into interstellar space.
Formation in isolation: Some free-floating planets may form on their own from collapsing gas and dust clouds, like stars do.
Detection Gravitational Microlensing: One of the primary ways to detect these planets is through gravitational microlensing, which occurs when a free-floating planet passes in front of a distant star, briefly magnifying its light.
Imaging: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been used to directly image free-floating planetary-mass objects, such as Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs). Characteristics
Mass: They can vary in mass, with some potentially being Jupiter-sized or even larger. Location: They are found throughout the galaxy, from the center of the Milky Way to young stellar associations.
Potential for moons: There is nothing theoretically stopping a free-floating planet from having a moon, and some evidence suggests they could potentially form their own mini-planetary systems. Significance
Abundance: Some research suggests that free-floating planets may be more common than stars, and the upcoming NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aims to help build the first census of these objects.
Formation insights: Studying their formation and characteristics can provide new insights into how planets form and evolve in general.
But they are affected by other celestial bodies they pass, as their path/journey is primarily controlled by the gravitational forces of bodies they pass, and the overall gravity of their host galaxy.
This would make tracking their "path" extremely complex.
Theres a theroy that our solar system might have one. Something about there being an unknown disruption in the Kuiper Belt. I think they call it Planet Nine🤷♀. Supposedly it might have a really long eliptical orbit of a couple of thousand years, but loose enough to be called a rogue planet. They wonder if it could have played a role in some of the catatrophic extinction events the Earth has had.
