LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: For the first time ever, astronomers have taken an optical image of a planet-like object orbiting a distant star. Called a "brown dwarf," this is a sub stellar object that astronomists estimate contains more than 12 times the mass of all the planets in our solar system. It's the first time such an object has been caught on camera. Our science correspondent Ann Kellan joins us now from Washington, she has got some details. And Ann, I hope you have some pictures too.</s>ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have a few pictures but when you go home tonight, Leon, you can ask your children, what is a brown dwarf? We are learning that there is a lot more out there that we are just starting to see. Today the first images of a brown dwarf orbiting a star very similar to our sun. And even though it's very different, you can see this little guy orbiting what looks like, is called the twin to our sun, is orbiting around the distance of Saturn or Uranus would be, in our solar system, but it is 65 times the size of Jupiter and it is not like a planet. What is a brown dwarf, you might ask? Think of a planet as lot of dust. Think of a star formed from gases. This one, that I said, 65 times the size of Jupiter, is a cross between the two. They don't really know. It's not as bright as a sun or a star and it's not as dusty or murky and rock-like, as a planet. This is a mystery about how it formed. They don't think it formed like our planet and they really don't know how it formed.</s>HARRIS: Ann, I'm sorry. I have to step in on you because we have some breaking news we want to deliver right now. We have got some tape coming in to us right now. Tape of a meeting that happened in the White House just moments ago.
Astronomers get Image of 'Brown Dwarf'