VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
3

a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
6

will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
vVVV BD001

[7]

is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will

be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.

[1]

A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical

object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also
include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and
whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]

VVV BD001 is a brown dwarf located about 55 light-years away from Earth.
A substellar object, sometimes called a substar, is an astronomical
object whose mass is smaller than the smallest mass at which a star can
sustain hydrogen fusion (approximately 0.08 solar masses). This definition
includes brown dwarfs, former stars similar to EF Eridani B, and can also

[1]

include objects of planetary mass, regardless of their formation mechanism and

whether or not they are associated with a primary star.
[2][3][4][5]

Assuming that a substellar object has a composition similar to the Sun's and at least
the mass of Jupiter (approximately 10 solar masses), its radius will be comparable to
that of Jupiter (approximately 0.1solar radii). This is because the center of such a
substellar object just below the hydrogen-burning limit is quite degenerate, with
a density of 10 g/cm , but this degeneracy lessens with decreasing mass until, at the
mass of Jupiter, a substellar object has a central density less than 10 g/cm . The
density decrease balances the mass decrease, keeping the radius approximately
constant.
3

[6]

A substellar object with mass just below the hydrogen-fusing limit may ignite
hydrogen fusion temporarily at its center, but although this will provide some energy,
it will not be enough to overcome the object's ongoing gravitational contraction;
likewise, although an object with mass above approximately 0.013 solar masses will
be able to fuse deuterium for a time, this source of energy will be exhausted in
approximately 10 to 10 years. Apart from these sources, the radiation of an isolated
substellar object comes only from the release of its gravitational potential energy,
which causes it to gradually cool and shrink. A substellar object in orbit about a star
will shrink more slowly as it is kept warm by the star, evolving towards
an equilibrium state where it emits as much energy as it receives from the star.
6

[7]