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From: holmes@dalcs.UUCP (Ray Holmes)
Newsgroups: net.sci
Subject: Re: Re: VB-8B: First Planet Outside Solar System Discovered
Message-ID: <1399@dalcs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22-Dec-84 10:49:49 EST
Article-I.D.: dalcs.1399
Posted: Sat Dec 22 10:49:49 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Dec-84 14:47:10 EST
References:  <1279@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., Canada
Lines: 19

> 
> I was under the impression that a planet bigger than 2 or 3 times Jupiter
> could not exist, because it would ignite and be a dwarf star if it were
> any heavier.  If this new object is a planet over 30 times Jupiter mass,
> is the theory wrong, or is it a companion star rather than a planet?
> The reported temperature suggests that it might have an internal source
> of heat.  Can a hydrogen-burning star exist at 1000-2000K?
> -- 
> 
> Martin Taylor
> {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt
> {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsrgv!dciem!mmt

And I was under the impression that anything even slightly larger than
Jupiter could become a star.  I believe that Jupiter does, in fact, have an
internal heat source.  Maybe I'm wrong, but a planet 30 times that size
seems to be nearly impossible.

					Ray