GL 229B: An Elusive Brown Dwarf? ... A leading candidate is a type of dim, low mass star called a " brown dwarf " star. Our universe could contain more brown dwarfs than any other type of star - but they are so dim they have so far escaped detection. ... The seemingly inconspicuous companion to the right of the overexposed image of a normal star is thought to be an elusive brown dwarf . Now that the existence of brown dwarfs has been demonstrated, a key remaining question is their abundance. ...