CD−35 2722 is a star system located in the constellation of Columba. The system consists of a red dwarf star orbited by a brown dwarf companion, discovered via direct imaging in 2011. The presence of a Jupiter-mass exosatellite orbiting the brown dwarf has been suspected since 2026. The system is a member of the AB Doradus moving group.
Brown dwarf In 2011, a brown dwarf designated CD−35 2722B was detected at a projected separation of from the star. At a distance of , this corresponds to a projected distance of . The mass was originally estimated at , other estimates suggest or . The temperature is in the range and the spectral type is L4±1. The chemical composition of the brown dwarf matches closely that of its host star, which may indicate that it formed by gravitational instability rather than core accretion.
The orbit has not been fully constrained but it appears to have a very high eccentricity, exceeding 0.9.
Candidate satellite In 2026, radial-velocity monitoring of CD−35 2722B with the CRIRES+ spectrograph on ESO’s Very Large Telescope provided strong evidence for at least one planetary-mass satellite orbiting CD−35 2722B. Radial velocity data from VLT/CRIRES+ revealed a candidate satellite orbiting CD−35 2722 B. The candidate has a minimum mass of and an orbital period of 171 days.
A two-satellite model fits the radial velocity data equally well; in this model, the second satellite would have a minimum mass of and orbit with an 87-day period. However, this two-satellite configuration is highly unstable and would likely result in one of the satellites being ejected within 500 years, making the one-satellite model more likely and preferred.
The suspected satellite orbits a brown dwarf rather than a planet. Astronomers are unsure whether to label the unconfirmed object a "moon," as a "moon" is generally defined as orbiting a planet.
See also List of star systems within 70–75 light-years
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