Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B - Hubble Space Telescope image
Click on image for full size
Hubble Space Telescope image (STScI/AURA)
Gliese 229b - Failed Star
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What's in a Name:
| The 229th entry in the Gliese catalog of stars within 25 parsecs of the Sun (originally published in 1969). "B" means the secondary star in a binary system.
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Claim to Fame: | First proven detection of a brown dwarf (an object too hot to be a planet but too cool to become a star - only 1300o F or 704o C) |
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Type of Star: | Brown dwarf orbiting a red dwarf star. Shining from energy generated by gravitational contraction, not through nuclear reactions like stars.
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How Far Away: | 18 light years |
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How Big: | 20 - 50 times as massive as Jupiter (0.02 - 0.05 times the solar mass). Approximately the size of Jupiter
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How Bright: | 1/100,000 of the sun's luminosity
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Where to View: | Located in the constellation Lepus, the Hare. Orion's sword points towards Lepus. |
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When to View: | Only visible in large telescopes. Lepus best viewed January - March |
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