Coolest, Darkest Brown Dwarf Star Discovered

The coolest brown dwarf star has been discovered, with a surface temperature of 623 Kelvin (that’s only 350 Celsius or 660 degrees Fahrenheit). Compare with the surface temperature of our Sun, a modest 6,000 Kelvin, you can see that this featherweight dwarf “star” is a little odd. As far as stars go, this one is pretty unspectacular, but it does hold a vast amount of interest. It may not be as sexy as a supernova or as exotic as a neutron star, the humble brown dwarf may provide the essential link between planets (specifically gas giants) and stars. They are effectively failed stars, and this new discovery demonstrates just how cold they can be…

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© Ian O’Neill for Universe Today, 2008. |
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