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24.07.2026.

15:22

Jupiter-sized: First possible "exomoon" discovered

An international team of astronomers has discovered the first possible natural satellite outside the Solar System, known as an "exomoon," orbiting a dead star, according to a study published in the scientific journal Nature.

Izvor: Tanjug

Jupiter-sized: First possible "exomoon" discovered
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The discovered object orbits a brown dwarf, a celestial body considered a failed or "dead" star, while the brown dwarf itself simultaneously orbits a larger star, ANSA reported.

The discovery was made possible through observations using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, with the research led by Kevin Hu of Diego Portales University.

Researchers from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) also contributed to the study.

"In the Solar System, we clearly distinguish between planets, the Sun, and their natural satellites."

"In the CD-35 2722 system, the boundaries between stars, planets, and moons become much less clear, making this system unique and representing the first credible detection of an exomoon," said study co-author Alice Zurlo of Diego Portales University and INAF.

Unlike natural satellites in the Solar System, the newly discovered object is approximately the size of Jupiter and does not orbit a planet, but rather a brown dwarf whose mass is about 30 times greater than Jupiter's.

Researchers say that this discovery not only points to the existence of a new type of celestial body, but also shows that the processes behind the formation of planetary systems may be far more diverse than previously thought.

According to them, future instruments, including the ANDES spectrograph, which will be installed on the European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile, will make it possible to detect even smaller exomoons and natural satellites beyond the Solar System.

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