天文学家利用欧洲南方天文台的超大望远镜在CD-35 2722星系发现了可能是太阳系外首颗卫星的证据1。这项研究由ESO学生Kevin Hoy领导,成果已于2026年10月24日发表在《自然》杂志上1。该神秘天体的质量至少相当于木星,绕一颗棕矮星公转,而这颗棕矮星的质量是木星的30倍以上,又绕一颗质量约为太阳一半的恒星CD-35 2722公转1。
研究团队采用径向速度法进行检测,使用了超大望远镜的CRIRES+仪器1。这个不寻常的三体配置挑战了对行星和卫星传统定义的理解。尽管天文学家已发现了6000多颗系外行星,但系外卫星的候选天体仅有少数几个,且证据都相当有限1。YEMS主任Alice Zurlo评价这一发现时表示,"这是第一次似是而非地探测到系外卫星"1。此前在2026年早期,Quentin Kral团队曾报告了HD 206893星系中可能存在卫星的迹象1。
Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope have identified evidence of what could be the first exosatellite ever detected, located in the CD-35 2722 star system.1 The discovery, published in Nature on October 24, 2026, reveals an unusual celestial configuration: a massive celestial body with a mass at least equivalent to Jupiter orbits a brown dwarf, which in turn orbits a star with roughly half the Sun's mass.1
The detection was made using the radial velocity method with the CRIRES+ instrument aboard the Very Large Telescope.1 Research leader Alice Zurlo, director of the YEMS program, described the finding as a milestone, stating: "As exotic as it is, this system is truly unique and represents a breakthrough: the first plausible detection of an exosatellite."1 The brown dwarf itself has a mass exceeding 30 times that of Jupiter, creating a hierarchical system that challenges conventional definitions of planets and moons.1
This discovery comes amid growing efforts to identify moons beyond Earth's orbit. While astronomers have cataloged more than 6,000 exoplanets to date, confirmed exosatellites remain elusive, with only a few candidates reported with limited evidence.1 Earlier in 2026, another team led by Quentin Kral reported possible signs of a satellite in the HD 206893 system, though this latest finding represents the first substantially plausible detection of its kind.1
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