fr en es pt
Astronomy
Asteroids and Comets Black Holes Children Chemical Elements Constellations Earth Eclipses Environment Equations Evolution Exoplanets Galaxies Light Matter Moons Nebulas Planets Probes and Telescopes Scientists Stars Sun Universe Volcanoes Zodiac New Articles Shorts Glossary
RSS astronoo
Follow me on X
Follow me on Bluesky
Follow me on Pinterest
English
Français
Español
Português
 
Last updated September 9, 2025

Brown Dwarfs: Between Stars and Giant Planets

Brown dwarf

What is a Brown Dwarf?

Brown dwarfs are substellar objects whose mass is too low to sustain hydrogen fusion in their core like a typical star. Their mass ranges approximately between 13 and 80 times that of Jupiter (≈0.012 to 0.08 M☉). They represent an intermediate between stars and giant planets.

Physical Characteristics

Internal Structure

Known Examples

Main Brown Dwarfs Studied
ObjectSpectral TypeMass (M☉)Radius (R☉)Temperature (K)Remarks
WISE 0855−0714Y≈0.010.11250Very cold brown dwarf, close to Jupiter
Gliese 229BT7≈0.030.1950Companion of the star Gliese 229
2MASS J0415−0935T8≈0.030.1800T-type brown dwarf
LP 944-20M9≈0.060.12,300Brown dwarf near the M-type limit
WISE J1049−5319BL7.5≈0.030.11,300Companion of the L7.5 dwarf in the Luhman 16 binary system
2MASS J1507−1627L5≈0.040.111,600L-type brown dwarf close to the Sun
DENIS-P J0255−4700L8≈0.030.11,400Late L-type brown dwarf
SDSS J1416+1348T7.5≈0.030.1900Example of a cold T-type brown dwarf

Sources: NASA – Brown Dwarfs Data, International Astronomical Union.

Articles on the same theme

Habitable Zones: The Sweet Spot for Living Near Stars Habitable Zones: The Sweet Spot for Living Near Stars
Pulsar: A Beating Stellar Heart Pulsar: A Beating Stellar Heart
Giants of the Milky Way: Top of the Most Massive, Largest, and Brightest Stars Giants of the Milky Way: Top of the Most Massive, Largest, and Brightest Stars
The First Minerals of Stellar Systems The First Minerals of Stellar Systems
What is a Collapsar? What is a Collapsar?
The life of the stars The life of the stars: From the collapse of the nebula to the cataclysmic explosion
When a Star Dies: Birth of a Black Hole When a Star Dies: Birth of a Black Hole
Neutron Stars: When Atoms No Longer Exist Neutron Stars: When Atoms No Longer Exist
Blue Giant Stars and Red Supergiants: The Fate of Massive Stars Blue Giant Stars and Red Supergiants: The Fate of Massive Stars
Gravitational Collapse: Formation and Birth of Stars Gravitational Collapse: Formation and Birth of Stars
The mystery of gamma-ray bursts The mystery of gamma-ray bursts
White Dwarfs: Stars at the End of Their Life White Dwarfs: Stars at the End of Their Life
Brown Dwarfs: Between Stars and Giant Planets Brown Dwarfs: Between Stars and Giant Planets
The Wind of Stars: Interaction between Light and Cosmic Dust The Wind of Stars: Interaction between Light and Cosmic Dust
The Brightest Stars in the Sky: Top 50 The Brightest Stars in the Sky: Top 50
The Cigar Explosion The Cigar Explosion
Escape velocity of small objects from black holes Escape velocity of small objects from black holes
Gould's belt, a stellar firework Gould's belt, a stellar firework
The Death of Stars: How Their Mass Decides Their Final Fate The Death of Stars: How Their Mass Decides Their Final Fate
Blue, white, yellow, orange stars Blue, white, yellow, orange stars
The Pleiades: The Seven Sisters and Hundreds of Stars The Pleiades: The Seven Sisters and Hundreds of Stars
The Star Fomalhaut: The Mouth of the Fish The Star Fomalhaut: The Mouth of the Fish
A black hole swallowing a star A black hole swallowing a star
Yellow Dwarfs: The Sun and Its Stellar Cousins Yellow Dwarfs: The Sun and Its Stellar Cousins
Thousands of stars bound by gravity Thousands of stars bound by gravity
Comparative sizes of planets and stars Comparative sizes of planets and stars
What is a Cepheid What is a Cepheid?
Turn off the stars to see exoplanets Turn off the stars to see exoplanets
Supernovae or the death of a star Supernovae or the death of a star
Betelgeuse: Giant Star on the Edge of Chaos in Orion Betelgeuse: Giant Star on the Edge of Chaos in Orion
Bright Planets, Twinkling Stars: The Art of Recognizing Them Bright Planets, Twinkling Stars: The Art of Recognizing Them
From the Naked Eye to the Space Telescope: What Methods Evaluate the Distance of Stars? From the Naked Eye to the Space Telescope: What Methods Evaluate the Distance of Stars?
U Camelopardalis: The Carbon Star Losing Its Envelope U Camelopardalis: The Carbon Star Losing Its Envelope
Red Dwarfs: The Smallest Stars Red Dwarfs: The Smallest Stars
A gigantic black hole A gigantic black hole
Monocerotis: The Mysterious Star of the Unicorn Monocerotis: The Mysterious Star of the Unicorn
Stars near Alpha Centauri Stars near Alpha Centauri
Super explosion and supernova SN 1572 Super explosion and supernova SN 1572
The Power of the Sun The Power of the Sun
Coatlicue, the star at the origin of our Sun Coatlicue, the star at the origin of our Sun

1997 © Astronoo.com − Astronomy, Astrophysics, Evolution and Ecology.
"The data available on this site may be used provided that the source is duly acknowledged."
How Google uses data
Legal mentions
English Sitemap − Full Sitemap
Contact the author