Luhman 16A (Artist’s Impression)
Astronomers have found evidence for a striped pattern of clouds on the brown dwarf called Luhman 16A, as illustrated here in this artist's impression. The bands of clouds were inferred using a technique called polarimetry, in which polarized light is measured from an astrophysical object much like polarized sunglasses are used to block out glare. This is the first time that polarimetry has been used to measure cloud patterns on a brown dwarf.
The red object in the background is Luhman 16B, the partner brown dwarf to Luhman 16A. Together, this pair is the closest brown dwarf system to Earth at 6.5 light-years away.
Link:
Credit:Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
Id: | opo2023a |
Type: | Artwork |
Release date: | 12 May 2020, 16:23 |
Size: | 5120 x 2880 px |
About the Object
Name: | Luhman 16A |
Type: | Milky Way : Star : Type : Brown Dwarf |
Distance: | 6 light years |
Category: | Stars |
Image Formats
Large JPEG
1.3 MB
Publication TIFF 4K
6.4 MB
Publication JPEG
941.8 KB
Screensize JPEG
127.9 KB
Wallpapers
1024x768
164.1 KB
1280x1024
239.1 KB
1600x1200
318.1 KB
1920x1200
369.6 KB
2048x1536
452.2 KB