ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Space

Coldest radio-emitting star is colder than a camp fire

The ultracool brown dwarf is colder than a campfire.

Jordan StricklerbyJordan Strickler
July 13, 2023
in News, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit
brown dwarf illustration
Brown dwarfs are often called “failed stars.” They form like stars but are not massive enough to fuse hydrogen into helium as stars do. Credit: WikiMedia Commons.

University of Sydney astronomers have discovered a tiny, inconspicuous star that is now officially the coldest star to have ever been observed emitting radio waves. The star under investigation, T8 Dwarf WISE J062309.94045624.6, is about 37 light-years away from Earth. This adds a new dimension to our understanding of stellar dynamics and magnetic fields.

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, finds the star in question is an “ultracool brown dwarf,” a gas-filled sphere simmering at about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (425 degrees Celsius). That’s actually lower than a typical campfire which can range from 1500 to 1650 Fahrenheit (815 to 898 Celsius).

To put it in perspective, our Sun’s surface reaches a raging 5600-degree Celsius inferno sustained by nuclear fusion. But this brown dwarf isn’t the coldest star ever found, but it is the coolest star to have undergone radio astronomy analysis.

“It’s very rare to find ultracool brown dwarf stars like this producing radio emission,” said Kovi Rose, lead author and Ph.D. student at the University of Sydney.

“That’s because their dynamics do not usually produce the magnetic fields that generate radio emissions detectable from Earth. Finding this brown dwarf producing radio waves at such a low temperature is a neat discovery.

The brown dwarf in question is smaller than Jupiter (between 0.65 and 0.95 its radius) but more massive, somewhere between four and 44 times the mass of Jupiter. (Credit: NASA/JPL)

Astronomers are puzzled by how radio waves originate in brown dwarfs. Less than 10% of brown dwarfs release these emissions. Larger “main sequence” stars like the Sun are relatively well understood. It is thought that ultracool dwarfs’ swift rotation helps to produce their powerful magnetic fields.

Electrical currents can develop when the magnetic field and the dwarf’s ionized atmosphere rotate at different rates. In this case, electrons are believed to flow toward the magnetic polar region of the star, producing radio waves, leading to periodically repeating radio bursts.

RelatedPosts

TRAPPIST-1, the dwarf star with seven Earth-sized planets, is older than our solar system
First remote reconnaissance of another solar systems reveals unlike “any other known object in our Universe”
Lonely planet found in a family of stars
NASA discovers coolest stars ever

Brown dwarfs, so named because of their low energy and light emissions, lack the mass of other stars like the Sun to support nuclear fusion. They occupy a special space between the biggest gas giant planets, like Jupiter, and the smallest hydrogen-burning stars.

Caltech astronomers made the planet’s initial discovery in 2011. The star is thought to be at least four times more massive than Jupiter with a radius that ranges from 0.65 to 0.95 times that of Jupiter. Put into perspective, the Solar System‘s largest planet is 1,000 times smaller than the Sun.

“Deepening our knowledge of ultracool brown dwarfs like this one will help us understand the evolution of stars, including how they generate magnetic fields,” Rose said.

Tags: brown dwarfKovi RoseT8 Dwarf WISE J062309.94045624.6ultracool brown dwarf

ShareTweetShare
Jordan Strickler

Jordan Strickler

A space nerd and self-described grammar freak (all his Twitter posts are complete sentences), he loves learning about the unknown and figures that if he isn’t smart enough to send satellites to space, he can at least write about it. Twitter: @JordanS1981

Related Posts

This artist’s illustration represents the couple of planetary-mass brown dwarfs Ophiuchus 98. As they are very young, they are still evolving in the molecular clouds that saw their birth.
Astronomy

Astronomers find two failed stars wandering the universe together

byRob Lea
5 years ago
The newly discovered object lies at the border between gas giants and brown dwarfs. Image via Wiki Commons.
Astrophysics

Researchers discover a planet so big it might not be a planet after all

byMihai Andrei
8 years ago
Alien life

TRAPPIST-1, the dwarf star with seven Earth-sized planets, is older than our solar system

byMihai Andrei
8 years ago
Artist's rendering of WISE 0855 as it might appear if viewed up close in infrared light. (Illustration by Joy Pollard, Gemini Observatory/AURA)
Astronomy

Astronomers find water clouds on brown dwarf

byMihai Andrei
9 years ago

Recent news

Your gut has a secret weapon against ‘forever chemicals’: microbes

July 3, 2025

High IQ People Are Strikingly Better at Forecasting the Future

July 3, 2025

Newborns Feel Pain Long Before They Can Understand It

July 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.