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Article: Astronomers discover possible miniature solar system
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- November 30, 2005
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AP Worldstream
11-30-2005
Dateline: LOS ANGELES
Astronomers peering through ground- and space-based telescopes have discovered what they believe is the birth of the smallest known solar system.
Scientists found a tiny brown dwarf _ or failed star _ less than one hundredth the mass of the sun surrounded by what appears to be a disk of dust and gas.
The brown dwarf _ located 500 light years away in the constellation Chamaeleon _ appears to be undergoing a planet-forming process that could one day yield a miniature solar system, said Kevin Luhman of Penn State University, who led the discovery.
It's long believed that our solar system came into existence when a huge cloud of gas and dust ...