Ross 19B: An Extremely Cold Companion Discovered via the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

Through the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project, we have identified a wide-separation (∼10', ∼9900 au projected) substellar companion to the nearby (∼17.5 pc), mid-M dwarf Ross 19. We have developed a new formalism for determining chance alignment probabilities based on the BANYAN Σ tool, and find a 100% probability that this is a physically associated pair. Through a detailed examination of Ross 19A, we find that the system is metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −0.40 ± 0.12) with an age of 7.2 (+3.8, -3.6) Gyr. Combining new and existing photometry and astrometry, we find that Ross 19B is one of the coldest known wide-separation companions, with a spectral type on the T/Y boundary, an effective temperature of 500 (+115, -100) K, and a mass in the range 15–40 M(Jup). This new, extremely cold benchmark companion is a compelling target for detailed characterization with future spectroscopic observations using facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope or James Webb Space Telescope.