Very Large Telescope

Exomoon Candidate Reported Orbiting Brown Dwarf CD-35 2722

Astronomers using the VLT have found evidence of a giant exosatellite orbiting a brown dwarf that itself orbits a star about 73 light-years away, with the candidate’s mass near Jupiter and an orbital period around 170 days. The discovery challenges traditional labels of planet, moon, and even star, prompting ongoing debate over nomenclature and definitions of exomoons as researchers describe the object as an exosatellite while many favor calling it a moon.