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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.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 6, 2015

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.

SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalNature·DateJul 29, 2015

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.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateJan 29, 2014

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.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 8, 2014

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.

SourcePenn State·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMar 11, 2013

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...

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 8, 2013

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.

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.

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.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateAug 22, 2008

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.

SourceESO·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 19, 2006

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.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateAug 2, 2006

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

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateOct 25, 2005

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.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateJan 19, 2005

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.

SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 22, 2002

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.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 10, 2000