Astronomers have discovered a rare pair of objects in space that could change how scientists understand the birth of stars. The system, known as ZTF J1239+8347, consists of two brown dwarfs that are locked in an extremely fast orbit, completing one round in just 57 minutes.
Brown dwarfs are often called failed stars because they do not have enough mass to start the nuclear reactions that make stars shine. However, this newly observed pair is behaving unusually. One of the objects is pulling material from the other, creating what scientists describe as a death spiral.
The two bodies are very close to each other, even closer than the distance between the Earth and the Moon. As they orbit, gravity is slowly pulling them nearer, and the transfer of matter between them is increasing. This process could eventually push one of the brown dwarfs past the critical mass needed to begin nuclear fusion.
If that happens, the object could ignite and become a true star, most likely a small and faint red dwarf. Scientists also say there is another possibility. The two brown dwarfs may collide and merge, forming a new star in the process.
The system was detected using the Zwicky Transient Facility, which observes changes in brightness in the night sky. Researchers noticed a regular pattern of light variations every 57 minutes, which led them to study the system more closely. These changes are believed to be caused by hot material moving from one object to the other.
This is the first time scientists have clearly observed such behaviour in brown dwarfs. Until now, similar mass transfer was mainly seen in larger stars. The discovery suggests that even objects once thought unable to become stars may still have a chance under the right conditions.
Located about 1,000 light years away, this system offers a new window into how stars might form in unexpected ways. Researchers believe there could be many more such systems hidden in the galaxy, waiting to be discovered.
The finding opens up fresh questions about how stars evolve and whether failure in space is always final.