The Epsilon Indi System (IMAGE)
Caption
Artist's conception of the Epsilon Indi system. The two brown dwarfs orbit their common center of mass, which in turn orbits the much more distant primary component, a Sun-like star. By mapping the orbital motion of the brown dwarfs, the team was able to determine their masses. Much like our Solar System's giant planets, brown dwarfs are thought to have cloud belts that encircle the entire object and give it a striped appearance.
Credit
Illustration is by Roberto Molar Candanosa and Sergio Dieterich, courtesy of the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Usage Restrictions
With credit.
License
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