Brown Dwarf Discovered 30 Years Ago Is Actually Twins Circling Each Other
This illustration provided by Caltech depicts the orbits of brown dwarf twins, Gliese 229Ba and Gliese 229Bb, with a separation only 16 times larger than the distance between Earth and the Moon. K. Miller, R. Hurt/Caltech/IPAC
NEW YORK—A celestial object discovered decades ago is actually twins orbiting each other, a new study confirms.
Scientists have puzzled over the object known as Gliese 229B, the first known brown dwarf discovered 30 years ago. Brown dwarfs are sometimes called failed stars because they’re lighter than stars, but heavier than gas giant planets.
