Where's the Line Between Massive Planet and Brown Dwarf Star?

By Evan Gough January 25, 2018
Where's the Line Between Massive Planet and Brown Dwarf Star?

“An upper boundary on the masses of planets is one of the most prominent details that was missing.” - Kevin Schlaufman, Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy.

Metallicity and Chemical Makeup

Brown Dwarfs and Planets Form Differently

What Does It Matter What We Call Them?

  • a planet is in orbit around a star.

  • a planet must have sufficient mass to assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape.)

  • a planet has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit

    • Evan Gough

    Evan Gough

    Evan Gough is a science-loving guy with no formal education who loves Earth, forests, hiking, and heavy music. He's guided by Carl Sagan's quote: "Understanding is a kind of ecstasy."