Resources
Q & A
Glossary
Acronym Guide
Further Reading
Outside the Site
Google Sky
WWT
Facebook
Youtube
Twitter
Flickr
Pinterest
Multimedia, Etc
Images/Illustrations
Animation & Video
Special Features
Chandra Podcasts
Desktop Images
The Big Chandra Picture
Presentations
Handouts
Screen Savers
Audio
Web Shortcuts
Chandra Blog
RSS Feed
Chronicle
Email Newsletter
News & Noteworthy
Image Use Policy
Questions & Answers
Glossary of Terms
Download Guide
Get Adobe Reader
Q&A: Normal Stars, White Dwarf Stars, and Star Clusters

Q:
Is there such a thing as a red dwarf? If so, how is it different from a white or brown dwarf?

A:
A red dwarf is a star that has a mass between approximately 8% and 50% of the mass of the Sun. It is different from a brown dwarf in that its interior is hot enough to sustain hydrogen fusion reactions as a supply of energy. It will eventually (in 20 billion years or so) turn into a white dwarf, a collapsed star in which no nuclear reactions occur in the center. The pressure for support against gravity is supplied by degenerate electron pressure. See the entries in our field guide.

Back | Index |