Is a Miniature Solar System Being Born?

AI Thread Summary
Astronomers have identified the potential formation of the smallest known solar system around a brown dwarf, a celestial object with less than one hundredth the mass of the sun. This brown dwarf, located 500 light years away in the constellation Chamaeleon, is surrounded by a disk of dust and gas indicative of planet formation. Kevin Luhman from Pennsylvania State University, who led the discovery, emphasizes that this process could eventually lead to the development of a solar system. The system is expected to be very cold, as the brown dwarf does not achieve nuclear fusion. This discovery adds valuable insight into the diversity of solar system formation in the universe.
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Possible Miniature Solar System Discovered

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Astronomers have discovered what they believe is the birth of the smallest known solar system. Peering through ground- and space-based telescopes, scientists observed a brown dwarf — or failed star — less than one hundredth the mass of the sun surrounded by what appears to be a disk of dust and gas.

The brown dwarf — located 500 light years away in the constellation Chamaeleon — appears to be undergoing a planet-forming process that could one day yield a solar system, said Kevin Luhman of Pennsylvania State University, who led the discovery.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051130/ap_on_sc/tiny_solar_system;_ylt=AkzJivxvW0DGRbs1ZW0JAzRxieAA;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NmhocGZ1BHNlYwMxNzAw
 
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Astronuc said:
Possible Miniature Solar System Discovered
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051130/ap_on_sc/tiny_solar_system;_ylt=AkzJivxvW0DGRbs1ZW0JAzRxieAA;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NmhocGZ1BHNlYwMxNzAw


Its going to be a very cold system with a "star" that fails to attain fusion (and thus, isn't really a star). In fact, that's only about ten times the mass of Jupiter.
 
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yes,compared with our solar system .
 
I think that I just figured out where Pengwino is from... :rolleyes:
 

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