Brown Dwarfs

Brown dwarfs are strange objects in space. They are bigger than the planet Jupiter but smaller than a real star. They are sometimes called failed stars. This is because they never got hot enough inside to shine brightly. They glow softly with a dim red or brown light.

Not Quite a Star

Stars make light because they burn hydrogen in their cores. Brown dwarfs do not have enough mass to do this. They only glow from leftover heat. Over time, brown dwarfs get cooler and dimmer. Some are almost as cold as a human body.

Finding Brown Dwarfs

Brown dwarfs are hard to see because they are so dim. Scientists use special infrared telescopes to find them. The first brown dwarf was discovered in 1995. Since then, thousands have been found. Some are alone, and others orbit real stars.

Fun Facts

• Brown dwarfs can have clouds and weather in their atmospheres.
• Some brown dwarfs have storms bigger than Earth.
• They are between 13 and 80 times the mass of Jupiter.

Did You Know?

A brown dwarf called Luhman 16 is only 6.5 light-years away, making it one of our closest neighbors.