Astronomers have identified evidence of a moon-like object in the CD-35 2722 system, a discovery that, if confirmed, would be the first moon ever found outside the solar system. The observations were made using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT).
Unlike typical exomoons, which orbit planets, this object orbits a brown dwarf—a substellar body larger than a planet. The brown dwarf itself orbits the star CD-35 2722.
The exomoon candidate has a mass comparable to the solar system's largest planet.
The object's mass—nearly that of Jupiter—and its unique orbital situation raise questions about the boundaries of what defines a planet, a moon, and a star. The discovery challenges existing cosmic classification labels.
