Strange Object Nicknamed "The Accident" Reveals A New Population Of Anomalous Stars

Sep 22 | 2021 By Admin

Brown dwarfs occupy the space between stars and a planet, never achieving the mass required to initiate nuclear fusion, the process that gives stars their radiance. More than 2,000 have been discovered so far, but one recent addition stands out from the others, earning it the moniker “The Accident.” However, there could be a lot more like it.

Brown dwarfs are generated by transforming the gravitational potential energy of the material they pull in, making them extremely hot. However, because they have no source of heat other than the disintegration of radioactive elements, they cool down with time, and we can tell the age of brown dwarfs by their temperatures, or at least we could until The Accident.

According to an article published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the Accident, also known as WISEA J153429.75-104303.3, resists regular methods of temperature monitoring and was only discovered by chance. When compared to other brown dwarfs, this one is quite little. At some wavelengths, the Accident is bright, while at others, it is dim.