CFBDSIR2149,
discovered in late 2012 100 light-years away, is just a sad planet. Its story is even sadder than
Pluto’s. First, its name: pure gobbledegook. But much worse is the fact that scientists believe it to be either a brown dwarf or a rogue planet. If it’s a brown dwarf, it means it was supposed to be a star, but failed: due to low mass, its core never got nuclear fusion going. If it’s a rogue or “orphan” planet, it means that it formed as a normal planet around a star, was somehow ejected from its orbit, and now roams the unforgiving universe. If that isn’t enough to make it a poor place to settle down, it’s estimated to be about 700 K, or about 800 degrees F. At least CFBDSIR2149 can claim to be the most literal planet. The word “planet” comes from the greek “planētēs,” which means wandering star.