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Failed star creates its own spotlight in the universe

Scientists at the University of Delaware discovered a 23-million-year-old brown dwarf that can emit powerful flashes of light, stronger than the sun's. The ultracool brown dwarf, 2MASS 0335+23, has lots of flares as hot as or hotter than full-fledged stars.

Stellar cannibalism transforms star into brown dwarf

A team of astronomers discovered a brown dwarf born as a full-fledged star, stripped to its current mass through stellar cannibalism. The brown dwarf was detected in a binary system with a tight orbit around a white dwarf, where the white dwarf's gravity removes about 90% of the companion's mass.

Unlocking the mysteries of 'little starlets'

Researchers recreated conditions inside brown dwarfs using a powerful laser, shedding light on their formation and properties. The findings pave the way for further understanding of these mysterious celestial objects, which are difficult to spot due to their small size and cool temperatures.

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Failed stars host powerful aurora displays

Researchers discovered that brown dwarf stars, which are difficult to detect and classify, host powerful auroras similar to Earth's display. The study used radio and optical telescopes to observe a brown dwarf 20 light years away, providing evidence that these stars act like supersized planets.

'Failed stars' host powerful auroral displays

A team of astronomers led by Gregg Hallinan has discovered that brown dwarfs, which are cool and dim objects, host powerful auroras near their magnetic poles. The findings suggest that these so-called failed stars behave more like giant planets with highly active magnetic fields.

Brown dwarfs, stars share formation process, new study indicates

Astronomers discovered jets of material ejected by still-forming young brown dwarfs, confirming they form through a scaled-down version of star formation. The presence of these jets was detected by the VLA and confirmed with Spitzer and Herschel space telescopes.

First evidence for water ice clouds found outside solar system

Brown dwarf W0855, located just four light-years from our Sun, exhibits frozen clouds of sulfide and water in its atmosphere. This breakthrough finding, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, provides crucial insights into the atmospheric composition of exoplanet candidates.

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First weather map of brown dwarf

A team of astronomers has successfully mapped the surface features of Luhman 16B, a brown dwarf located six light-years from Earth. The new results reveal dark and light patches on the surface, which can be used to study weather patterns in other solar systems.

Newly discovered celestial object defies categories

A newly discovered celestial object, ROXs 42Bb, located nine times the mass of Jupiter and 30 times further away from its star than Jupiter, defies easy categorization as a planet or brown dwarf. This finding blurs the distinction between planets and brown dwarfs, prompting researchers to re-examine formation theories.

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Nearby failed stars may harbor planet

Astronomers have made precise measurements of a failed star system near the Sun, suggesting it harbors a third planetary-mass object. The system, Luhman 16AB, consists of two brown dwarfs with masses between 30 and 50 Jupiter masses.

Coldest brown dwarfs blur lines between stars and planets

Recent study reveals that coldest brown dwarfs are warmer than initially thought, with temperatures around 250-350 degrees Fahrenheit. This challenges current understanding of their behavior and raises questions about the role of other factors in driving chemistry at their surfaces.

The closest star system found in a century

Astronomers have discovered the closest star system to the Sun, located 6.5 light years from Earth, making it an ideal target for planet-hunting expeditions. The star system consists of a pair of brown dwarfs, which are too small in mass to ignite hydrogen fusion.

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Scientists peer into a brown dwarf, find stormy atmosphere

A team of astronomers used the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes to create the most detailed weather map yet for a brown dwarf. They found that the object has a stormy atmosphere with planet-sized clouds, similar to those on Earth. The research provides new insights into the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and exoplanets beyond our solar...

Can life emerge on planets around cooling stars?

New research suggests that planets orbiting white or brown dwarfs are unlikely to support life due to the cooling and shrinking of their habitable zones. The study's findings indicate that such planets would have had to undergo a 'sterilization phase' in the past, making them dead for hosting life.

Astronomers directly image massive star's 'super-Jupiter'

Astronomers have discovered a super-Jupiter orbiting the star Kappa Andromedae, with a mass about 12.8 times greater than Jupiter's. The object's ambiguity between being a planet or brown dwarf allows researchers to explore theoretical limits of planetary formation.

Record-breaking radio waves discovered from ultra-cool star

Scientists at Penn State's Arecibo Observatory have discovered flaring radio emission from an ultra-cool star, shattering the previous record for lowest stellar temperature at which radio waves were detected. The star, named J1047+21, is a brown dwarf with a surface temperature not much higher than that of a giant planet.

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Astronomers find extreme weather on an alien world

A University of Toronto-led team has observed extreme brightness changes on a nearby brown dwarf, suggesting the presence of a gigantic storm. The researchers used an infrared camera to capture repeated images of the brown dwarf over several hours, revealing the largest variations in brightness ever seen.

Baby stars born to 'napping' parents

Cardiff University astronomers propose that young stars' long naps could lead to the birth of smaller stars and planets. The researchers developed advanced computer models to simulate young star behavior, finding that disc fragmentation is possible in nature.

Brown dwarf found orbiting a young sun-like star

Astronomers have discovered a brown dwarf companion to a young sun-like star, PZ Tel A. The discovery reveals the early stages of solar system formation and provides insights into planetary formation.

Brown dwarf pair mystifies astronomers

Researchers found two brown dwarf-sized masses around an ordinary star, which is extremely rare. The discovery suggests that planets may assemble around stars more quickly and efficiently than thought possible.

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Brown dwarfs do form like stars

Astronomers discovered strong evidence that brown dwarfs form like stars using the Submillimeter Array. Brown dwarfs are on the line between planets and stars with masses between 15 and 75 Jupiters.

Stellar still births

Researchers at the University of Bonn discover brown dwarfs must be treated as a separate class due to their unique mass distribution and 'mating behaviour'. This reclassification challenges current understanding of stellar formation and population dynamics.

Astronomers weigh the coldest brown dwarfs with astronomy's sharpest eyes

Researchers have determined the masses of the coldest class of brown dwarfs for the first time outside the solar system. The team used ultrasharp images from the Keck Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope to measure the sizes and durations of binary systems, revealing two new brown dwarf binaries with masses as low as 6% of the sun's mass.

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XO-3b: Supersized planet or oasis in the 'brown dwarf desert'?

Researchers have found a massive exoplanet, XO-3b, which orbits its star in less than four days and is 13 times the mass of Jupiter. The planet's unusual characteristics, including its elliptical orbit and size, raise questions about its classification as a brown dwarf.

The star, the dwarf and the planet

Researchers have directly imaged a faint brown dwarf companion to the star HD 3651, which hosts a planet. The discovery provides valuable information on planetary formation and offers a unique insight into the co-formation of planets and brown dwarfs around the same star.

Scientists snap images of first brown dwarf in planetary system

Astronomers have discovered a small brown dwarf star orbiting a Sun-like star with a planet, revealing a new class of coldest brown dwarfs called T dwarfs. The team also found another smaller brown dwarf in the same system, which may be the youngest known T dwarf, providing a snapshot of early brown-dwarf development.

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A sub-stellar Jonah

Astronomers discovered a brown dwarf in close orbit around a white dwarf, with a separation of less than 2/3 of the Sun's radius. The system formed after the red giant engulfed its companion and ejected its envelope, leaving behind a binary system.

Astronomers, at last, get a chance to size up a brown dwarf

A team of astronomers reports the discovery of two young brown dwarfs in mutual orbit, allowing for the direct measurement of their radii and masses. The findings provide valuable insights into the physical properties of brown dwarfs, shedding light on their size, mass, and evolutionary pathways.

Eclipsing brown dwarfs provide new key to the star formation process

Astronomers have discovered an eclipsing pair of brown dwarfs in the Orion Nebula, providing the first direct measurement of their mass, size, and surface temperature. This discovery sheds light on the dynamic processes that produce stars and helps estimate the masses of faint objects.

Hubble panoramic view of Orion Nebula reveals thousands of stars

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the sharpest view ever taken of the Orion Nebula, revealing a tapestry of star formation and large-scale structures. The image showcases over 3,000 stars of various sizes, including possible young brown dwarfs and binary brown dwarfs.

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Even 'failed stars' form planets

A team of astronomers investigated six young brown dwarfs and found that dust particles in their circumstellar discs stuck together, forming larger clumps of olivine. This material is also found in comets and normal stars, suggesting a similar growth process in planet formation

Weighing the smallest stars

An international team of astronomers using the VLT's NACO SDI camera discovered a faint companion to AB Dor A, a young star, which is 93 times more massive than Jupiter and twice as heavy as predicted. The object's mass was determined by observing its precise location and orbit around its host star.

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Hubble's infrared eyes home in on suspected extrasolar planet

Astronomers use Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer to observe a faint companion object orbiting a relatively bright young brown dwarf star. The observations provide strong evidence for the existence of an extrasolar planet, which is estimated to be about five times the mass of Jupiter.

Hubble's infrared eyes home in on suspected extrasolar planet

Astronomers have discovered a candidate planetary companion to a relatively bright young brown dwarf star located 225 light-years away in the southern constellation Hydra. The object, detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is estimated to be about five times the mass of Jupiter and orbits its host at a 99% confidence level.

Virtual observatory prototype produces surprise discovery

The National Virtual Observatory (NVO) has confirmed the discovery of a new brown dwarf, one of only 200 known to science. This breakthrough came from a computerized search of millions of astronomical objects in two separate databases, showcasing the potential of NVO to uncover new findings quickly.

Weather in outer space?

Researchers Katharina Lodders and her team found evidence of complex chemistry in brown dwarf atmospheres, including the formation of liquid iron clouds. The study revealed that as brown dwarfs cool, certain compounds reappear in their atmospheres.

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Astronomers find Jupiter-like weather on brown dwarfs

Brown dwarfs have long been observed to appear brighter as they cool, but scientists couldn't explain the phenomenon until now. Using a model that takes into account cloudy storm patterns, researchers have found that atmospheric weather on brown dwarfs can cause them to brighten, similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

First discovery announced of a planet orbiting giant star

The discovery provides the first evidence that planets at earthlike distances can survive the evolution of their host star into a giant. The planet orbits iota Draconis, an old star with a radius 13 times that of the sun, and has an elliptical orbit that takes 1.5 years to complete.

First X-ray from brown dwarf observed

Researchers observed a bright X-ray flare from a brown dwarf, LP 944-20, which lasted nearly two hours and had an energy comparable to small solar flares. The flare's origin is believed to be in twisted magnetic fields beneath the surface of the brown dwarf, providing strong hints about the existence of turbulent magnetized hot material.

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Discovery Of The First X-Ray Emitting Brown Dwarf

Brown dwarf Cha Ha 1 is the youngest known member of the Chamaeleon dark cloud, with a mass of 4-5% of the Sun's mass and an age of one million years. Its X-ray emission was detected using the ROSAT satellite.

Theory Bolsters Search For Brown Dwarfs And Giant Planets

A new theoretical study reproduces actual observations of the confirmed brown dwarf Gliese 229 B, providing insights into its atmosphere and formation. The research helps accelerate searches for brown dwarfs and giant extrasolar planets, shedding light on their composition and formation processes.