Discovering a tiny star, about 600 light-years away from Earth

According to Sputnik, scientists at the University of Cambridge (UK) have discovered the smallest star ever. The star is about the size of Saturn, smaller than Jupiter, with gravity 300 times stronger than Earth.

The star called EBLM J0555-57Ab is located about 600 light-years from Earth. It only has enough mass to trigger the incorporation of hydrogen nuclei into helium.

Picture 1 of Discovering a tiny star, about 600 light-years away from Earth
Star EBLM J0555-57Ab.

Alexander von Boetticher, the study's lead author, said: 'Our findings show how small stars are. If this star formed with a slightly lower mass, the hydrogen fusion reaction in the core could not be sustained, and the star would turn into a brown dwarf. This star is much smaller and colder than the giant gas giant planets that have been identified. Finding a star is sometimes harder than finding a planet. "

Earlier, in early March, astronomers discovered that many planets about the same size as the Earth revolved around a star.

The star with seven orbiting planets is a dwarf named Trappist-1, 39 light-years from Earth. Although the Trappist-1's 7 planets are orbiting extremely close to the host star, natural light on these planets appears to be very weak to humans.