Astronomers find rare planet orbiting at 90 degrees around twin brown dwarf stars

Astronomers find rare planet orbiting at 90 degrees around twin brown dwarf stars

A planet circling at a sharp 90-degree angle to the orbits of its two host stars has now been confirmed. This discovery challenges long-standing ideas about how planets form and orbit in the cosmos. And it shows that space still holds many surprises. The planet—named 2M1510 (AB) b—moves around a pair of brown dwarfs, which are celestial objects heavier than gas giants but not quite stars. These brown dwarfs form what is known as an eclipsing bin…