Star Smaller Than Some Planets Found

Abhishek writes "Astronomers have found the tiniest full-fledged star known, an object just 16 percent bigger than Jupiter. It is smaller than some known planets that orbit other stars. The star is a companion to a Sun-like star toward the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. It was found and measured by observing changes in the light output of the system when the smaller star passes in front of the larger star from our vantagepoint. This would give a better idea of brown dwarfs or failed stars. The star has been named OGLE-TR-122b. This discovery also marks the possibility of stars that look strikingly like planets."

Comments

Quadrupole-induced polarization?

[Sheetrock]

There is a possibility, albeit a small one, that an overload of the phase coupling relay reaction in a solar furnace (star) could trigger a non-catastrophic split.

If a star is smaller than the conditions necessary for supernovae, and is struck with a star of the same size, you will end up with quadrupoles flying off in different directions. Needless to say this is rare, which makes this quite an exciting find!

Re:Interesting...

[LurkerXXX]

Likely it was rebels fleeing from an Alliance Heavy Cruiser. As they were slingshoting around the larger star, they decided to launch one of their thermonuclear torpeados into the gas giant orbiting it, triggering the thermonuclear reaction that the proto-star was incapable of initiating on it's own. Luckily for the rebels the unexpected flood of radition from the new star was enough to temporarily blind the sensors of the Alliance Cruiser, allowing them to escape.

But that's just my hunch.