ESA · Space

Webb Telescope Discovers Smallest Brown Dwarfs Yet

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a detailed panorama of the star-forming region IC 348, leading to the discovery of the least massive brown dwarfs ever observed.

Astronomers used Webb's NIRCam and NIRSpec instruments to study IC 348, located 1000 light-years away. They identified brown dwarfs with masses as low as twice that of Jupiter, challenging current models of star formation.

Brown dwarfs form like stars but lack the mass to fuse hydrogen. The study aimed to determine the minimum mass objects formed during star formation.

Previous Webb observations in 2022 found brown dwarfs 3-4 times Jupiter's mass. The latest findings reveal even smaller objects, approximately 0.19% of the Sun's mass.

One of the newly discovered lightweight brown dwarfs shows signs of a disc, suggesting planet formation may occur around objects with planetary mass.

A unique hydrocarbon feature was detected in the spectra of these low-mass brown dwarfs, potentially indicating a distinct spectral class for these extreme objects.

The IC 348 image also showcases protostars with luminous regions called Herbig-Haro objects, formed by jets from newborn stars impacting surrounding gas and dust.

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