Archive · 31 Jan 2026
Astronomers Discover Massive Metal Cloud Orbiting Unknown Planet
Astronomers found a huge cloud of metals like iron and calcium around a star far away.
This cloud is stuck to an unknown object, which could be a big planet or a small star.
The cloud is about 120 million miles wide and is moving at a different speed from the star.
Scientists think the cloud might have formed when two planets crashed into each other.
This is unusual because the star system is quite old, about 2 billion years.
The discovery helps scientists learn more about how planets and stars interact.
Astronomers discovered a massive cloud of vaporized metals orbiting an unknown object around the star J0705+0612, located 3,000 light-years away.
The star dimmed by 40 times its usual brightness for nine months, from September 2024 to May 2025.
The cloud, about 120 million miles wide, is bound by the gravity of an object at least several times the mass of Jupiter.
The cloud contains elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, including iron and calcium, and is moving at a different speed from its host star.
Scientists believe the cloud may have formed from the collision of two planets, which is unusual for a 2-billion-year-old star system.
- Who
- Astronomers led by Nadia Zakamska from Johns Hopkins University
- What
- Discovered a massive cloud of vaporized metals orbiting an unknown object around a distant star
- When
- The star dimmed from September 2024 to May 2025, with the discovery reported in 2024
- Where
- Around the star J0705+0612, located about 3,000 light-years away from Earth
- Why
- The cloud blocked the star's light, providing a rare opportunity to study its composition and movement
- Star Name
- J0705+0612
- Distance from Earth
- 3,000 light-years
- Star Dimming Duration
- Nine months (September 2024 to May 2025)
- Cloud Size
- 120 million miles (200 million kilometers)
- Distance from Star
- 1.2 billion miles (2 billion kilometers)
- Cloud Composition
- Iron, calcium, and other metals
- Estimated System Age
- 2 billion years