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Nearby Brown Dwarf System May Harbor Closest Exoplanet to Earth

Thursday, January 16, 2014 9:32

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(Before It's News)

WISE J104915.57-531906 as seen in NASA’s All-WISE survey (centered) and resolved to show its binary nature by the Gemini Observatory (inset). (Credit: NASA/JPL/Gemini Observatory/AURA/NSF). Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/100682/wise-nabs-the-closest-brown-dwarfs-yet-discovered/#ixzz2qW1lletG

WISE J104915.57-531906 as seen in NASA’s All-WISE survey. It was later resolved by the Gemini Observatory to show its binary nature. The possible exoplanet has not yet been directly imaged. Credit: NASA/JPL/Gemini Observatory/AURA/NSF

In 2012 astronomers announced the discovery of an Earth-like planet circling our nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri B, a mere 4.3 light-years away. But with such a discovery comes heated debate. A second group of astronomers was unable to confirm the exoplanet’s presence, keeping the argument unresolved to date.

But not to worry. One need only look 2.3 light-years further to see tantalizing — although yet unconfirmed — evidence of an exoplanet circling a pair of brown dwarfs: objects that aren’t massive enough to kick-off nuclear fusion in their cores. There just may be an exoplanet in the third closest system to our Sun.

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Read the rest of Nearby Brown Dwarf System May Harbor Closest Exoplanet to Earth (425 words)