A study published in Science Advances sheds new light on the mysterious origins of free-floating planetary-mass objects (PMOs)—celestial bodies with masses between stars and planets.

Led by Dr. Deng Hongping of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an international team of astronomers, used advanced simulations to uncover a novel formation process for these enigmatic objects. The research suggests that PMOs can form directly through violent interactions between circumstellar disks in young star clusters.