If there’s one thing that is more important about our solar system than anything else, it is our Sun.

Why? Because not only is the Sun the provider of light and heat that allows life on our planet to exist, but its huge gravitational pull keeps the entirety of our solar system in orbit.

But it’s not strictly true that planets need a star with which to coexist; in fact, some rogue planets float freely around space after having been ejected from their star system.

However, a new study from researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland have discovered something striking: these freely roaming planets (especially large gas giants) could potentially form planetary systems of their own.

Through their observations of several young, free-floating planets, the research team (along with international co-authors from across Europe and the US) discovered that two thirds are surrounded by warm dust that is visible via the James Webb Space Telescope’s infrared observations.

The dust surrounding six of the eight planets, all of which are gas giants, is likely to be a disk, in which planets are often born.

Moreover, further analysis suggested that silicate grains were present in these disks. Given that the silicate seemed to be crystallizing, a fundamental step toward forming a rocky planet, the researchers have concluded that these planets could have the potential to form planets around the gas giant, as St Andrews’ Dr. Aleks Scholz explained in a statement:

“These studies show that objects with masses comparable to those of giant planets have the potential to form their own miniature planetary systems. Those systems could be like the solar system, just scaled down by a factor of 100 or more in mass and size. Whether or not such systems actually exist remains to be shown.”

While the evidence suggests the possibility of a planetary system being formed over time, the researchers explain in their study, which has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal, doesn’t necessarily mean that in practice, it has happened.

However, given free-floating planets are difficult to identify in space, and considering the infinite nature of our universe, it is by no means beyond the realm of possibility that such a planetary system could be out there somewhere, as St Andrews’ Dr. Belinda Damian continued:

“These discoveries show that the building blocks for forming planets can be found even around objects that are barely larger than Jupiter and drifting alone in space. This means that the formation of planetary systems is not exclusive to stars but might also work around lonely starless worlds.”

Without a star though, the chances of a planet in these systems being habitable is close to impossible… and would be quite unpleasant by our standards, too.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.