Astronomers have defined a new class of celestial objects called "Ploonets," which are orphaned moons that have escaped the bonds of their planetary parents.
Planet + moon = Ploonet.
The researchers explain that the angular momentum between the planet and its moon results in the moon escaping the gravitational pull of its parent.
A new study suggests that the moons of gas-giant exoplanets may break away into their own orbits.
As the gas giants move inward toward their suns, the orbits of their moons are often disrupted, according to new computer models.
The scientists think these objects should exist in solitary orbits around their host stars and could even be discovered in observations from past and present exoplanet-hunting surveys, like Kepler and TESS.
