Unique Small Brown Dwarf Star Discovered
Posted on: Monday, 18 September 2006, 12:00 CDT
U.S. scientists using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered a small brown dwarf star, 50 times the mass of Jupiter.
The star is orbiting with a planet around a sun-like star in an arrangement astronomers say has never been observed before.
Kevin Luhman of Penn State University is the lead author of a report describing the discovery that concerns a class of the coldest brown dwarfs, called T dwarfs.
Over the last 10 years, astronomers have been extremely successful in finding planets close to their host stars using indirect detection methods, said Luhman, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics. Because of its infrared capabilities, Spitzer is well suited for directly detecting cool T dwarfs, and perhaps even large planets, in the outer parts of planetary systems.
Luhman's team also discovered a second brown dwarf that is smaller yet, about 20 times the mass of Jupiter, orbiting another star. That object could be the youngest T dwarf known, offering scientists a snapshot of early brown-dwarf development. The two T dwarfs are the first to be imaged by the space telescope.
The discoveries are to be detailed in The Astrophysical Journal.
Source: United Press International
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