SIMP J013656.5+093347

SIMP J013656.5+093347, often called SIMP0136, is a very special object in space that scientists discovered. It is what we call a planetary mass object, which means it is similar in size to planets but not quite big enough to become a star. This object is located about 19.9 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces.

One interesting thing about SIMP0136 is that it moves quickly across the sky. Because of something called proper motion, its position changes by about 1.24 arcseconds each year. Scientists use this movement to study objects like this and learn more about how they form and move through space.

SIMP0136 belongs to a group of objects known as spectral class T2.5. This tells us about its temperature and color, which helps astronomers understand what it is made of and how it fits into the larger family of stars, planets, and other objects in space. Studying objects like SIMP0136 helps us learn more about the universe around us.

Physical properties

SIMP J013656.5+093347, also called SIMP0136, is a very small object in space that is about 19.9 light-years from Earth. In 2017, scientists announced that it might be as small as 12.7 times the size of Jupiter and could be a rogue planet — a planet that does not orbit a star — instead of a brown dwarf, which is a bigger type of object.

Observations in 2018 and 2025 showed that SIMP0136 has auroras, similar to the northern lights on Earth. These auroras help scientists study how magnetic fields work on planets far outside our Solar System. The object also has interesting clouds and weather patterns, with changes in its brightness that suggest storms and shifting cloud layers in its atmosphere. These patterns were observed using powerful telescopes and show how active even small objects in space can be.