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.
This object appeared too dim for its mass. Astronomers collected light and chemical clues using the Very Large Telescope in Chile and observed it's a duo circling close to each other.
"It resolves a glaring discrepancy," said Kevin Luhman, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University who was not involved with the research.
The twins orbit a small star about 18 light-years away. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.
