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NASA Telescope Uncovers Role of Brown Dwarfs in Forming Planets

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PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 24 -- A NASA telescope has detected for the first time the building blocks of planets around brown dwarfs, suggesting that these much colder and dimmer cousins to stars probably also "sow the seeds" of planets. Until now, the microscopic crystals that eventually collide to form planets have only been seen around stars and comets -- considered to be the remnants of our solar system. Sowing the Seeds of Planets? This artist's concept shows microscopic crystals in the dusty disk surrounding a brown dwarf, or failed star. The crystals, composed of a green mineral found on...Read full article

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    Published: October 2005
    Glossary
    astronomy
    The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these observations to determine the characteristics of the extraterrestrial bodies and phenomena that have emitted the radiation.
    infrared
    Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of microwaves. The infrared spectrum spans wavelengths roughly between 700 nanometers (nm) and 1 millimeter (mm). It is divided into three main subcategories: Near-infrared (NIR): Wavelengths from approximately 700 nm to 1.4 micrometers (µm). Near-infrared light is often used in telecommunications, as well as in various imaging and sensing...
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    spectrograph
    An optical instrument for forming the spectrum of a light source and recording it on a film. The dispersing medium may be a prism or a diffraction grating. A concave grating requires no other means to form a sharp image of the slit on the film, but a plane grating or a prism requires auxiliary lenses or concave mirrors to act as image-forming means in addition to the dispersing element. Refracting prisms can be used only in parallel light, so a collimating lens is required before the prism and...
    telescope
    An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant objects more distinct, by enlarging their images on the retina.
    astronomyBasic Sciencebrown dwarfsenergyinfraredIRNASANews & FeaturesphotonicsplanetssolarspacespectrographSpitzertelescope

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