Where's the Dividing Line Between A Star and A Planet? Ask the JWST.

April 15, 2026 Universe Today

Where's the Dividing Line Between A Star and A Planet? Ask the JWST.
By Evan Gough (https://ift.tt/1pWNeC4)

This artist's illustration shows the sub-stellar object 29 Cygni b. It's about 15 times more massive than Jupiter and orbits at a great distance from its star. It straddles the dividing line between star and planet. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

It's obvious that Earth is a planet. It's obvious that the Sun is a star. But for substellar objects like brown dwarfs, it's not so clear. Researchers are using the JWST to find a stronger dividing line between star and planet that depends on how they formed.

April 16, 2026 at 04:33AM
via read more...

No comments

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )