Astronomers have discovered mysterious ice spheres with diameters ten times larger than that of our Solar System.

The mysterious ice spheres, which have a diameter ten times larger than that of the Solar System, were reported by researchers from Niigata University in Japan. Led by Takashi Shimonishi, they first detected these objects four years ago. The existence of these "spheres" was indicated by data collected using the AKARI infrared space telescope.

However, the Japanese scientists did not publicize their "discovery," literally not believing their own eyes.

Recently, the researchers gained access to a powerful ground-based instrument - the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) located in the Chilean Andes on the Chajnantor plateau. They directed it towards the objects that had seemingly been troubling them all this time.

Observations revealed that the "spheres" were not a figment of their imagination; they are indeed icy and enormous, with a blue color and a dense consistency. They are located on the edge of the Milky Way, one at a distance of 30.3 thousand light-years from the Sun, and the other nearly 40 thousand light-years away.

The article written by the Japanese researchers has not yet undergone peer review, prompting reviewers to ponder as well. However, it can be accessed on the preprints portal.

The Japanese scientists admitted that they are still baffled by their observations. They insist that the "ice spheres" do not resemble any other objects in the universe.

Colleagues, however, have a theory. It is possible that the researchers have observed objects in the Milky Way that resemble our Oort Cloud. This cloud is believed to surround the Solar System in a spherical shape and consists of tens or even hundreds of billions of comets and smaller icy bodies left over from its formation.

No one has ever seen the Oort Cloud directly; it exists in the minds of theoretical astronomers who believe that long-period comets originate from this cloud and travel into the inner Solar System.

Why not suggest that the Japanese observations (from the outside, rather than from within) have reinforced previous theoretical ideas – that they have glimpsed Oort Clouds around other stars? Could it be that the icy spheres are part of this phenomenon? If so, then such structures truly exist – both around the Sun and around other stars.

Observations are ongoing. The Japanese researchers hope to examine the mysterious spheres using the James Webb Telescope.

The Oort Cloud surrounds the Solar System with a spherical shell of large and small icy bodies.

MEANWHILE

A hurricane like none seen before: winds on an exoplanet blow at speeds of 33,000 kilometers per hour

Planet WASP-127b. Distance from Earth: 520 light-years. Size: roughly that of our Jupiter. Mass: slightly less. It has a rather dense atmosphere. For some mysterious reason, in its equatorial region, winds blow with a fantastic force – at a speed of 33,000 kilometers per hour!

For comparison: the speed of atmospheric flows on Neptune – the most "hurricane-prone" planet in the Solar System – does not exceed 2,000 kilometers per hour, while on Earth, during catastrophic hurricanes, it reaches 400 kilometers per hour.

Of course, there can be no talk of any life on WASP-127b – the "weather" there is simply dreadful. But what exactly is ruining it remains a mystery.