Unveiling the Mysterious 'Black Star': New Astronomical Discovery

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of a "black star," distinguishing it from black holes and exploring its characteristics and existence. Participants examine the nature of astronomical objects that do not undergo hydrogen fusion, as well as the terminology used in astrophysics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the existence of a "black star" as described in a magazine article, suggesting it may have been a hypothesis or a misunderstanding.
  • Another participant asserts that there are many astronomical objects that do not undergo fusion, such as Jupiter, which could be considered "black stars."
  • A claim is made that "black star" was an early term for black holes, with John Wheeler credited for coining the term "black hole."
  • One participant challenges the notion of an object that "emits darkness," arguing that this concept is nonsensical and suggests a misunderstanding of the article or poor writing. They reference brown dwarfs as large objects that do not shine through fusion but still radiate energy.
  • A clarification is provided that a "black dwarf" refers to a cooled remnant of a white dwarf, noting that none have formed yet due to the universe's age.
  • A link to a Wikipedia article is shared for further reference on the topic of black stars in semiclassical gravity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definition and existence of "black stars," with some supporting the idea of non-fusing astronomical objects and others questioning the terminology and concepts presented. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the validity of the term "black star."

Contextual Notes

There are uncertainties regarding the definitions of "black star," "black hole," and "black dwarf," as well as the implications of objects that do not emit light through fusion. The discussion highlights potential misunderstandings and the need for clarification on these terms.

rmalik
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Is there such a thing as a black star? Not black hole.

I read something from a national geographic magazine a few months back that was about an astronomical object. It was all black on the outside, emitted darkness instead of light, and it contained some water. It was some new discovery or something. I may have got some of it wrong, it was a while ago and I can't remember much. Maybe it was a hypothesis :S

If anybody knows what I'm talking about or clear any of this up, that would be great :)
 
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Sure, there are gazillions of them - objects not sufficiently massive to trigger hydrogen fusion in their cores. Jupiter is one example.
 
Black star was an early name for black holes...the latter coined by John Wheeler I believe.
 
rmalik said:
emitted darkness

This doesn't make sense. How could something emit the absence of something? Either you misunderstood the article, or it was written by someone who knows nothing about this kind of thing! As Chronos notes, there are many large objects which are large starlike balls of gas which do not shine under fusion, although they are typically referred to as brown dwarfs. And they do radiate, just like any other black body, so they certainly are not black!

Could you give a reference if you have one? I'd like to see this absurd claim!
 
Naty1 said:
Black star was an early name for black holes...the latter coined by John Wheeler I believe.


Also, a black dwarf is the name given a remnant of a white dwarf after it has cooled sufficiently. However, the Universe is not old enough for any black dwarfs to have formed yet.
 
From wiki-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Star_(semiclassical_gravity )
 
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