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Brown dwarfs
May 13 , 2020
1660 days
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- A group of international astrophysicists have identified cloud bands on the surface of Luhman 16A.
- Luhman 16A is the closest known brown dwarf.
- It is one of a pair of binary brown dwarfs in the Vela constellation.
- They are similar to those seen on Saturn and Jupiter.
- Luhman 16A has been a part of the binary system that also contains a second brown dwarf i.e. Luhman 16B.
- After Alpha Centauri and Barnard’s star, it has been the third closest system to our sun, at a distance of 6.5 light-years.
- The technique of polarimetry has been used for the first time by the scientists.
- The researchers used an instrument on the very large telescope in Chile.
- It is to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds that are outside of the exoclouds or solar system.
About
- Brown dwarfs are those objects that are lighter than the stars but heavier than the planets.
- Brown dwarfs are also called failed stars, because their masses are intermediate to the largest planets and the smallest main sequence stars.
- They typically have the 13 to 80 times the mass of the Jupiter.
- Their masses being too small, they are unable to sustain fusion of their hydrogen to produce energy.
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