❖ In 1995, researchers observed a brown dwarf orbiting Gliese 229 – a red dwarf star located about 19 light-years from Earth.

❖ The brown dwarf names Gliese 229B was too dim for its mass.

❖ Its mass to be about 70 Jupiter masses, it should have been brighter than what telescopes had observed.

❖ Scientists suspected Gliese 229 B might be twins.

❖ The recent research results showed that Gliese 229 B consists of two brown dwarfs (Gliese 229 Ba and Gliese 229 Bb) about 38 and 34 times the mass of Jupiter.

❖ They orbit each other with a period of 12 days and a separation of 16 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

❖ The observed brightness levels also match what is expected for two small brown dwarfs in this mass range.