Many mysteries still remain in the universe, and this is the case of the exomoons. As a reminder, these are moons
orbiting exoplanets, which are planets located outside the solar system. And if today, no exomoon has been officially
discovered, this may soon change.
Researchers recently published a study highlighting a new candidate. And for that, we must turn to HD 206893 b, which is
located about 133 light-years from Earth. It is a gas giant, discovered in 2021, which orbits an F-type star in 25,6
years at a distance of 9.6 AU. Its dimensions are also impressive, as its mass is 28 times that of Jupiter.
Thus, in order to detect a celestial object orbiting this exoplanet, scientists used astrometry. This method allows them
to detect orbital variations between different stars and different planets. And it was with the help of VLTI/GRAVITY
that they discovered an object that seems to be orbiting HD 206893 b, and could have a mass equivalent to 0.4 times that
of Jupiter. In other words, this potential exomoon would be small, which explains why scientists have had difficulty
observing it and confirming its existence.