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Newly discovered world is so strange that we don’t know what to call it, astronomers say
The Independent • • science
Key Points:
- Astronomers have discovered a unique object in the CD-35 2722 star system, potentially the first moon detected outside our solar system, though it does not orbit a planet and challenges traditional classifications.
- The object, orbiting a brown dwarf which itself orbits a star, has been termed an "exosatellite" due to its unusual position as a third body in the system.
- This discovery was made using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope by detecting subtle wobbles in the brown dwarf caused by the exosatellite.
- The finding represents a significant breakthrough in the search for moons beyond our solar system, which has previously been unsuccessful despite identifying over 6,000 exoplanets.
- Understanding such exosatellites could provide insights into their formation, prevalence, and characteristics, with hopes for more discoveries using future advanced telescopes.
