During a survey, the James Webb Space Telescope identified the smallest free-floating brown dwarf ever discovered! The study, released by NASA, is led by Kevin Luhman of Penn State University.
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Brown dwarfs are celestial objects that fall between stars and planets. They form like stars but do not reach sufficient density to initiate hydrogen fusion and become a star. With masses that can range from several times that of Jupiter, brown dwarfs occupy an intermediate category, sharing characteristics with both stars and planets.
The brown dwarf identified in the survey with the James Webb has three to four times the mass of Jupiter, setting a new record. The search took place in the stellar cluster IC 348, about 1,000 light-years away from Earth.
In addition to contributing to the understanding of star formation, these brown dwarfs can provide insights into exoplanets, i.e., planets orbiting stars outside our solar system.
Unique. That’s what you are.
Not a star, not a planet — a brown dwarf is an object that falls in between. Within the star cluster shown below, Webb observed the tiniest, free-floating brown dwarf ever discovered. More on this record-breaking discovery: https://t.co/011SFIiRhe pic.twitter.com/W2JiKODQNn
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) December 13, 2023
