Special Stars: WD0137-3495 (original) (raw)

WD0137-349

In this very close double system a rather big brown dwarf orbits a white dwarf. Before the A star became a white dwarf, it was a much larger red giant, which swallowed the brown dwarf during its inflation phase. Obviously this didn't hurt the B object much, it continued to move on deep inside the thin hull of the giant without being destroyed. Thereby it probably shortened noticeably the red giant phase of the star.
In several billion years the brown dwarf will finally be swallowed by the white one and merge with it.

Constellation: Sculptor
Distance: 333 light-years
Space between A and B: circa 0.006 AU
Orbit period of A and B: 2 hours

| Spectral class: DA Visual magnitude: 15.33 Mass: 0.5 * Sun | | WD0137-3495 B Mass: 58 * Jupiter | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ------------------------------------- |

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08/03/2006

To the left in the foreground is the brown dwarf, to the right the brighter, but smaller white.
Graphic: ESO