amnhnyc:

🚨#NewResearch alert! A recent study co-authored by Museum Senior Research Scientist Jackie Faherty highlights 34 “ultracool” dwarfs, also known as brown dwarfs, that were discovered by a citizen scientist from the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project.

🔭Brown dwarfs are star-like, with more mass than planets but less mass than stars, which makes them much harder to spot. The question of how often stars exist alone is an enduring question in the field of astronomy, and for brown dwarfs, the answer to this question is especially elusive. But these discoveries could help astronomers determine if brown dwarfs are more akin to oversized planets or undersized stars, as well as providing insights into how star systems evolve over time. Read more about their findings in the link in our bio!

Image: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick

#research #STEM #science #space #astronomy #CitizenScience #CitizenScientist #amnh #museums #BackyardWorlds #planets #stars #BrownDwarf
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