Astronomers discovered a massive cloud of swirling vaporized metal blocking light from a distant star, J0705+0612, located about 3,000 light-years away. This remarkable event, first noted in September 2024, caused the star to dim significantly for nine months before returning to its normal brightness in May 2025.
Led by Johns Hopkins astronomer Nadia Zakamska, the research team used several telescopes to investigate this unusual phenomenon, finding that the cloud measured about 120 million miles across and was gravitationally linked to an unknown celestial body, possibly a giant planet or a low-mass star. This body is required to be several times more massive than Jupiter to exert enough gravitational force to hold the cloud together.
By using advanced spectroscopy, the team analyzed the cloud’s composition and found it rich in heavier elements, which are categorized as “metals” by astronomers. This analysis marked the first successful measurement of gas motion in a disk orbiting a secondary object.
The researchers speculate that the cloud may have formed from a collision between two planets orbiting J0705+0612, indicating that significant events can happen even in mature planetary systems like this one, which is estimated to be around 2 billion years old. This discovery sheds light on the dynamic processes of the universe, highlighting its continuous evolution. The study was published in The Astronomical Journal on January 21.
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