Astronomers have observed a rogue planet, Cha 1107-7626, consuming gas and dust at an unprecedented rate of 6 billion tons per second, challenging the distinction between planets and stars.

Rogue planets float freely through space without orbiting a star and are difficult to detect, though scientists estimate trillions may exist in the Milky Way.

Cha 1107-7626, located about 620 light-years away in the constellation Chamaeleon, is 5–10 times the mass of Jupiter and only 1–2 million years old.

The planet is rapidly growing by accreting material from its surrounding disc, a process that has recently accelerated eightfold, CBS News has reported.

Researchers say this extraordinary growth marks the strongest accretion ever recorded for a planetary-mass object and raises questions about the origins of rogue planets.