Room temperature star discovered

Artist's impression of a brown dwarf. Image credit: NASA/JPL

It's a brown dwarf dubbed WD 0806-661 B and it's only 63 light years from Earth.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., March 14 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers have discovered a brown dwarf star that contradicts the perception of all stars being hot -- this one is, in fact, room temperature, they say.

Like normal stars, brown dwarfs form from collapsing gas clouds, but they don't become massive enough to sustain nuclear reactions, so they briefly shine red from the heat of formation then fade.

Still, before discovering this latest star, the coolest known brown dwarfs were determined to be hot enough to roast any astronauts who might approach too close, NewScientist.com reported Monday.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/03/14/Astronomers-detect-room-temperature-star/UPI-20511300147417/#ixzz1Gchu0c8I