A brown dwarf emerges
Posted on 04/29/2014 1:34:18 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A brown dwarf that’s as frosty as the Earth’s North Pole has been discovered lurking incredibly close to our Solar System. Astronomer Keven Luhman from Pennsylvania State University used NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the Spitzer Space Telescope to pinpoint the object’s temperature and distance. This is the coldest brown dwarf found so far, and it’s a mere 7.2 light-years away, making it the seventh closest star-like object to the Sun.
“It is very exciting to discover a new neighbor of our Solar System that is so close,” said Luhman in a press release.
Brown dwarfs emerge when clouds of gas and dust collapse. But unlike stars, they never grow dense enough or burn hot enough to ignite nuclear fusion in their cores. They live their lives less massive than stars, but more massive than gas giants. So they burn hot at first, then cool over time. And this newly discovered brown dwarf is as cold as ice. Literally.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
I thought the word “dwarf” was outlawed?
I don’t know any Browns fans who like that elf.
Luhman 16 A&B - 6.5 LY
WISE 0855–0714 - 7.2 LY
WISE 1506+7027 - 11.1 LY
(Epsilon) Indi A&B - 12 LY
There will likely be more found closer as time goes by.
A brown dwarf emerges
From WIKI
Common Name Scientific Name Distance (light years) Apparent Magnitude Absolute Magnitude Spectral Type
Sun - -26.72 4.8 G2V
Proxima Centauri V645 Cen 4.2 11.05 (var.) 15.5 M5.5Vc
Rigil Kentaurus Alpha Cen A 4.3 -0.01 4.4 G2V
Alpha Cen B 4.3 1.33 5.7 K1V
Barnard’s Star 6.0 9.54 13.2 M3.8V
Wolf 359 CN Leo 7.7 13.53 (var.) 16.7 M5.8Vc
BD +36 2147 8.2 7.50 10.5 M2.1Vc
Luyten 726-8A UV Cet A 8.4 12.52 (var.) 15.5 M5.6Vc
Luyten 726-8B UV Cet B 8.4 13.02 (var.) 16.0 M5.6Vc
Sirius A Alpha CMa A 8.6 -1.46 1.4 A1Vm
Sirius B Alpha CMa B 8.6 8.3 11.2 DA
Ross 154 9.4 10.45 13.1 M3.6Vc
Ross 248 10.4 12.29 14.8 M4.9Vc
Epsilon Eri 10.8 3.73 6.1 K2Vc
Ross 128 10.9 11.10 13.5 M4.1V
61 Cyg A (V1803 Cyg) 11.1 5.2 (var.) 7.6 K3.5Vc
61 Cyg B 11.1 6.03 8.4 K4.7Vc
Epsilon Ind 11.2 4.68 7.0 K3Vc
BD +43 44 A 11.2 8.08 10.4 M1.3Vc
BD +43 44 B 11.2 11.06 13.4 M3.8Vc
Luyten 789-6 11.2 12.18 14.5
Procyon A Alpha CMi A 11.4 0.38 2.6 F5IV-V
Procyon B Alpha CMi B 11.4 10.7 13.0 DF
BD +59 1915 A 11.6 8.90 11.2 M3.0V
BD +59 1915 B 11.6 9.69 11.9 M3.5V
CoD -36 15693 11.7 7.35 9.6 M1.3Vc
The article was referencing Brown dwarf ‘stars’.
BTW the Sun’s scientific name is Sol.
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