[astro-ph.EP] Free-floating planet-moon pairs (FFPMs) may form when planetary systems experience close stellar encounters.
![Orbital trajectories of two example scattering experiments. Left: An interaction that results in a free-floating planet-moon pair. Right: An interaction that results in a free-floating planet and a separate free-floating moon. The starting points of the bodies are indicated by the black dots. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Planet-moon.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Free-floating planet-moon pairs (FFPMs) may form when planetary systems experience close stellar encounters.