rosie
28th April 2010, 16:08
http://i41.tinypic.com/jjbvr6.jpg
Size comparison of our Sun, a low mass star, a brown dwarf, Jupiter, and Earth. Stars with less mass than the Sun are smaller and cooler, and hence much fainter in visible light. Brown dwarfs have less than eight percent of the mass of the Sun, which is not enough to sustain the fusion reaction that keeps the Sun hot. These cool orbs are nearly impossible to see in visible light, but stand out when viewed in infrared. Their diameters are about the same as Jupiter's, but they can have up to 80 times more mass and are thought to have planetary systems of their own.
Image credit: NASA
Quote from article:
“I think the possibility that the Sun could harbor a companion of another sort is not a crazy idea,” said Kirkpatrick. “There might be a distant object in a more stable, more circular orbit that has gone unnoticed so far.” :rolleyes:
Link to site: http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/3427/getting-wise-about-nemesis
There are so many names now for that "planet X", it is hard to keep tabs on them all. I like this article for the description of brown dwarfs and it has helped me to understand a little more about this area. Hope it helps others as well! ;)
Size comparison of our Sun, a low mass star, a brown dwarf, Jupiter, and Earth. Stars with less mass than the Sun are smaller and cooler, and hence much fainter in visible light. Brown dwarfs have less than eight percent of the mass of the Sun, which is not enough to sustain the fusion reaction that keeps the Sun hot. These cool orbs are nearly impossible to see in visible light, but stand out when viewed in infrared. Their diameters are about the same as Jupiter's, but they can have up to 80 times more mass and are thought to have planetary systems of their own.
Image credit: NASA
Quote from article:
“I think the possibility that the Sun could harbor a companion of another sort is not a crazy idea,” said Kirkpatrick. “There might be a distant object in a more stable, more circular orbit that has gone unnoticed so far.” :rolleyes:
Link to site: http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/3427/getting-wise-about-nemesis
There are so many names now for that "planet X", it is hard to keep tabs on them all. I like this article for the description of brown dwarfs and it has helped me to understand a little more about this area. Hope it helps others as well! ;)