A Space & astronomy forum. SpaceBanter.com

Go Back   Home » SpaceBanter.com forum » Others » UK Astronomy
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Brown dwarf, dazzling aurora



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 29th 15, 08:20 PM posted to sci.misc,uk.sci.astronomy
Hils[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 36
Default Brown dwarf, dazzling aurora

"The sky above a failed star in a distant constellation shimmers with a
beautiful green and yellow aurora one million times brighter than the
northern lights. The spectacular light show is the first confirmed
aurora on a body outside the solar system, and the most powerful ever
recorded."

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2...orthern-lights

But this otherwise fine article doesn't describe how the auroras are formed!
  #2  
Old July 30th 15, 04:29 AM posted to sci.misc,uk.sci.astronomy
JAB
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Brown dwarf, dazzling aurora

On Wed, 29 Jul 2015 20:20:10 +0100, Hils wrote:

fine article


Source:

http://www.caltech.edu/news/failed-s...displays-47428
  #3  
Old July 30th 15, 07:54 AM posted to sci.misc,uk.sci.astronomy
Martin Brown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,707
Default Brown dwarf, dazzling aurora

On 29/07/2015 20:20, Hils wrote:
"The sky above a failed star in a distant constellation shimmers with a
beautiful green and yellow aurora one million times brighter than the
northern lights. The spectacular light show is the first confirmed
aurora on a body outside the solar system, and the most powerful ever
recorded."

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2...orthern-lights

But this otherwise fine article doesn't describe how the auroras are formed!


Somewhat like on Earth the magnetic axis of the brown dwarf and its spin
axis are not precisely aligned so that the auroral circle around the
magnetic pole is rotating in and out of our view.

The 18th magnitude object has its own Wiki entry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSR_J1835%2B3259

(beyond the reach of all but the largest amateur scopes)

Think of it as a low budget and much less energetic pulsar or a Jupiter
on steroids and you will not be too far out. Where the electrons come
from that power the aurora is still unknown but stellar motion and/or
orbiting planets would be the most obvious candidates.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown
  #4  
Old July 30th 15, 08:10 AM posted to sci.misc,uk.sci.astronomy
Hils[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 36
Default Brown dwarf, dazzling aurora

On 30/07/15 04:29, JAB wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2015 20:20:10 +0100, Hils wrote:

fine article


Source:

http://www.caltech.edu/news/failed-s...displays-47428


Excellent, thanks.

"In the case of brown dwarfs, charged particles cannot be driven into
their magnetosphere by a stellar wind, as there is no stellar wind to do
so. Hallinan says that some other source, such as an orbiting planet
moving through the brown dwarf's magnetosphere, may be generating a
current and producing the auroras. "But until we map the aurora
accurately, we won't be able to say where it's coming from," he says."

Wouldn't an "orbiting planet" have itself to be something like a gas
giant to produce the charged particles?
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How long does it take a white dwarf to be a brown dwarf? G=EMC^2[_2_] Misc 41 January 11th 13 08:24 PM
Brown dwarf numbers way down BradGuth Misc 1 February 2nd 09 09:21 PM
Brown dwarf numbers way down K. Carson Misc 5 February 2nd 09 07:16 AM
A Brown Dwarf Joins the Jet-Set (Forwarded) Andrew Yee Astronomy Misc 0 June 25th 07 05:00 PM
A Brown Dwarf Joins the Jet-Set (Forwarded) Andrew Yee[_1_] News 0 June 25th 07 04:10 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:33 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SpaceBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.