Rogue Brown Dwarf Lurks in Our Cosmic Neighborhood

Brown dwarf-hunting astronomers have reported the discovery of a "failed star" located within 10 light-years from Earth. This makes it the nearest brown dwarf and one of ten nearest stellar objects to our solar system. Although its location isn't entirely unexpected (it is thought that the galaxy is stuffed full of these objects), the chemical composition of its atmosphere is a bit of a conundrum. UGPSJ0722-05 is all by itself, floating through interstellar space, possibly having formed there on its lonesome, or kicked out of its host star system by an ancient gravitational game of stellar pinball. How it got there may not ever be known, but its close proximity allows astronomers to carry out detailed analysis of the object. And what they found was a surprise. Read the entire: http://news.discovery.com/space/rogue-brown-dwarf-lurks-in-our-cosmic-neighborhood.html

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