Brown dwarfs are unusual celestial objects that drift through space without orbiting a host star. Heated by their internal energy, these dim worlds have chemically complex atmospheres containing water and other molecules, according to a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal .
Scientists examined the atmospheres of these mysterious objects using NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope. As per the findings, as brown dwarfs cool and age, their atmospheric chemistry changes. Some pass through a transition in which their clouds thin out, allowing methane-rich atmospheric conditions to emerge. “No two brown dwarfs are alike. Even at the same temperature, their spectra look quite distinct,” said Zafar Rustamkulov, lead author of the new study.
