Brown dwarfs are on the dividing line between planets and stars, and generally have masses between 15 and 75 Jupiters. As a result, brown dwarfs are sometimes called failed stars. However, until now, it was not clear whether they formed like stars (from the gravitational collapse of gas clouds) or if they formed like planets (agglomerating rocky material until they grow massive enough to draw in nearby gas). Using the Smithsonian's Submillimeter Array (SMA), astronomers have uncovered strong evidence that brown dwarfs do indeed form like stars.