Hubble image archive

Illustration of Cloud Layers in Nearby Brown Dwarf 2MASS J22081363+2921215

This graphic shows successive layers of clouds in the atmosphere of a nearby, free-floating brown dwarf. Breaks in the upper cloud layers allowed astronomers to probe deeper into the atmosphere of the brown dwarf called 2MASS J22081363+2921215. Brown dwarfs are more massive than...

Date
Jan 1, 2021
Mission
Hubble Space Telescope
Archive ID
hubblesite-images-2021-028-01f6t8jftdq31p4rzcq69khr7y
By

This graphic shows successive layers of clouds in the atmosphere of a nearby, free-floating brown dwarf. Breaks in the upper cloud layers allowed astronomers to probe deeper into the atmosphere of the brown dwarf called 2MASS J22081363+2921215. Brown dwarfs are more massive than planets but too small to sustain nuclear fusion, which powers stars.

This illustration is based on infrared observations of the clouds' colors and brightness variations, as well as the spectral fingerprints of various chemical elements contained in the clouds and atmospheric modeling.

Credits

Illustration

NASA, ESA, STScI, Andi James (STScI)

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Source

Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.

View on NASA.gov

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