LP 944-020
Encyclopedia
LP 944-020 is a dim brown dwarf
of spectral class M9, located about 16 light-years distant from the Earth
's solar system
in the constellation of Fornax
. It is the 47th closest star system
to the Sun
.
mas, and correction from relative to absolute parallax (i. e. mean parallax of the reference frame stars) 
mas. This yields absolute parallax 
mas, and standard deviation
of absolute parallax (according formula
) 
mas, and this corresponds to a distance of 
pc
, or
ly
. (The same values of absolute parallax and its standard deviation are in RECONS' TOP100 list, which is referenced to the aforementioned Tinney's article.)
that also features dusty cloud
s.
Brown dwarf
Brown dwarfs are sub-stellar objects which are too low in mass to sustain hydrogen-1 fusion reactions in their cores, which is characteristic of stars on the main sequence. Brown dwarfs have fully convective surfaces and interiors, with no chemical differentiation by depth...
of spectral class M9, located about 16 light-years distant from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
in the constellation of Fornax
Fornax
Fornax is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was created in the 18th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations.-History:Fornax was formed by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756...
. It is the 47th closest star system
Star system
A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars which orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large number of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a star cluster or galaxy, although, broadly speaking, they are also star systems.-Binary star systems:A stellar...
to the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
.
Distance
According C. G. Tinney's 1996 paper "CCD astrometry of southern very low-mass stars", LP 944-020 (designated there as BRI 0337-3535) has relative parallaxParallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
mas, and correction from relative to absolute parallax (i. e. mean parallax of the reference frame stars) mas. This yields absolute parallax mas, and standard deviationStandard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
of absolute parallax (according formula
) mas, and this corresponds to a distance of pcParsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
, or
lyLight-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
. (The same values of absolute parallax and its standard deviation are in RECONS' TOP100 list, which is referenced to the aforementioned Tinney's article.)
Lithium and clouds
Observations published in 2007 showed that this object has an atmosphere high in lithiumLithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
that also features dusty cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s.
External links
"The 100 nearest star systems", Research Consortium on Nearby StarsResearch Consortium on Nearby Stars
The Research Consortium on Nearby Stars is an international group of astronomers founded in 1994 to investigate the stars nearest to the Solar System - those within 10 parsecs...