2MASS 2139 - Extreme Weather On An Alien World
Monday, September 12, 2011 - 11:50
in Astronomy & Space
Extreme brightness changes on a nearby brown dwarf dubbed 2MASS J21392676+0220226, or 2MASS 2139 for short, may indicate a storm grander than any seen yet on a planet. Because old brown dwarfs and giant planets have similar atmospheres, this finding could shed new light on weather phenomena of extra-solar planets. As part of a large survey of nearby brown dwarfs, which occupy the mass gap between dwarf stars and giant planets, scientists used an infrared camera on the 2.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to capture repeated images of 2MASS 2139 over several hours. In that short time span, they recorded the largest variations in brightness ever seen on a cool brown dwarf. read more