Is this massive gas giant a moon?

The Jupiter-Sized Moon: How CD-35 2722 is Forcing a Cosmic Identity CrisisIs it possible for a moon to be as big as the largest planet in our solar system? In today’s episode, we dive into the groundbreaking discovery published in the journal Nature on July 22, 2026. Lead author Kevin Hoy and his team have detected a massive "exosatellite" orbiting a brown dwarf just 73 light-years away. This object, with at least 90% of Jupiter’s mass, is the most plausible "exomoon" candidate ever found, yet it defies every traditional label.We break down the unique three-tiered hierarchy: a small star orbited by a brown dwarf, which in turn is orbited by this giant gas satellite every 170 days. We analyze the technical feat achieved by the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile using the radial velocity method—the same "wobble" technique that found the first exoplanets. Join us as we explore the "limit of language" in astronomy: if it’s the size of a planet but orbits a "failed star," what do we call it?.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scitech-brief--6846358/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.