seeder Posted July 30, 2015 #1 Share Posted July 30, 2015 An aurora has been spotted outside our Solar System for the first time, scientists report.An international team detected the light display around a brown dwarf about 18 light years away in the Lyra constellation. They say the luminous glow looks like the northern lights, but is up to a million times brighter and more red than green in colour. The findings are reported in the journal Nature. Dr Stuart Littlefair, an astronomer from the University of Sheffield, said: "This is the first time that we have confirmed we are seeing auroras on brown dwarves." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33711161 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted July 30, 2015 #2 Share Posted July 30, 2015 More red than green in colour *knods knowledgeably* 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieRunner Posted July 30, 2015 #3 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Astrophysicists have been on a role lately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundew Posted July 30, 2015 #4 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Aurorae as I remember are generated by the solar wind interacting with a planet's atmosphere. Other than Earth I know we have seen them on Saturn, and probably other planets in our system, I just haven't kept up with it. However, if the brown dwarf is the "star" within its system and not a "planet" what is interacting with its atmosphere to create the aurora? Interesting. Perhaps it is generating its own "solar wind" of particles and reacting with its own atmosphere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted July 30, 2015 #5 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Aurorae as I remember are generated by the solar wind interacting with a planet's atmosphere. Other than Earth I know we have seen them on Saturn, and probably other planets in our system, I just haven't kept up with it. All the gas giants and Mars have been observed to have aurorae. However, if the brown dwarf is the "star" within its system and not a "planet" what is interacting with its atmosphere to create the aurora? Interesting. Perhaps it is generating its own "solar wind" of particles and reacting with its own atmosphere? From the original article: "It is possible material is being stripped off the surface of the brown dwarf to produce its own electrons," said Dr Littlefair.Another option is an as-yet-undetected planet or moon around the dwarf is throwing off material to light it up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblykiss Posted July 31, 2015 #6 Share Posted July 31, 2015 A brown dwarf wearing a crown of light, such arrogance from the stars these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted July 31, 2015 #7 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) hmmmm ... Red and green paint mix to make brown, a darker color. I think there is some concerns here in regards to additive or subtractive color mixing and outcomes ~ color by way of light and color by manner of paint/pigments are not the same ... ~ Red and green light mix to make yellow, a lighter color. comcast net link Edited July 31, 2015 by third_eye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted July 31, 2015 #8 Share Posted July 31, 2015 third _ eye, forgive me if I'm being thick here, but I totally fail to see the relevance of your post. Until you no one had even mentioned colour mixing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted July 31, 2015 #9 Share Posted July 31, 2015 third _ eye, forgive me if I'm being thick here, but I totally fail to see the relevance of your post. Until you no one had even mentioned colour mixing. Nahhh nothing doing with thick or thin , I was just curious about the colors ~ More red than green in colour *knods knowledgeably* ... being this is illumination and not pigment I wondered how brown got into the picture ~ A brown dwarf wearing a crown of light, such arrogance from the stars these days. ~ my fault actually if anything is at all at fault ... ` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted July 31, 2015 #10 Share Posted July 31, 2015 ... being this is illumination and not pigment I wondered how brown got into the picture ~ Brown dwarfs give off most of their radiation in the infrared, so they would probably be a very dull red to the unaided eye... however the name red dwarf was already taken. When they were first hypothesized they were referred to as black dwarfs, but that term had also already been taken. Brown was the closest colour to how they would appear so they were called brown dwarfs. In other words, you are taking the name a little too literally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted July 31, 2015 #11 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) Brown dwarfs give off most of their radiation in the infrared, so they would probably be a very dull red to the unaided eye... however the name red dwarf was already taken. When they were first hypothesized they were referred to as black dwarfs, but that term had also already been taken. Brown was the closest colour to how they would appear so they were called brown dwarfs. In other words, you are taking the name a little too literally. as I suspected my good Sir ... I can't help it as I am schooled in the Fine Arts being colors is kinda a pet skill set of mine apart from the fact that I am obsessed with it ~ my apologies and much obliged ~ edit : forgot my manners Edited July 31, 2015 by third_eye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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