French and Canadian astronomers have found the first ever homeless planet, wandering alone through interstellar space.
The rogue planetis thought to be between four and seven times the mass of Jupiter and may have been flung away from its star when its solar system was in the process of forming.
It is the first time scientists have ever spotted a planet out on its own and not orbiting a star.
Astronomer Étienne Artigau, from the University of Montreal, says the planet was spotted because it was illuminated by a passing group of stars.
Mr Artigau says the discovery suggests homeless planets are relatively common but searching for more of them without the light of nearby stars is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
