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From: GMS@PSUVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: re:planet discovered around another star
Message-ID: <1352GMS@PSUVM>
Date: Sun, 16-Dec-84 23:13:11 EST
Article-I.D.: PSUVM.1352GMS
Posted: Sun Dec 16 23:13:11 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 02:11:59 EST
Lines: 47

I believe that there is some controversy surrounding the apparant
discovery of a 'planet' orbiting another star in Ophiuchus.  The controversy
is not concerning the object itself, for it is most certainly there, but
rather what to call it.

To be rather picky about names, this object should be termed a 'brown
dwarf' rather than a planet.  Current theories of solar system formation
include the probable existance of such objects.  It could be still
condensing, and may one day shed its outer atmosphere to shine (albeit
faintly) as a red dwarf star.

With an upper-atmosphere temperature of about 2000 degrees (Farenheit,
Celsius or Kelvin???) this object is certainly undergoing fusion at its
center.  It has been speculated that if the planet Jupiter were more
massive (I believe by a factor of four) that it too would generate enough
contraction heat to ignite thermonuclear reactions, and hence become a
star. (Does that make it a semi-protostar?)

At any rate, I am mentioning this nitpicky argument primarily in response
to some people who have said that the nitpicky argument is really being
generated by astronomers who are jealous at not having found the first
planet themselves.  I disagree.  I have been fortunate enough to work with
the astronomers at Allegheny Observatory, who are in the process of
searching for planets with a new instrument that achieves astrometric
measurements of unprecidented precision, enough to accurately scan
near space (up to about 10 parsecs) for even Earth-sized planets. (Assuming
other factors too numerous to mention here.)

Although I applaud the achievements of the astronomers who discovered
the first 'brown dwarf', lets recognize it for what it is.  The brown dwarf
is no more a planet than were the rings of dust discovered by IRAS
around Vega and Fomulhaut.

The discovery of the brown dwarf, DOES lend even more observational evidence
to current theories of star and solar system formation, and lends support
to the argument that there may be planets surrounding most  stars.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Gerry Santoro
 Microcomputer Information and Support Center       GMS @ PSUVM (bitnet)
 Penn State University                           !psuvax1!santoro (UUCP)
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