Ask Ethan #86: The last light in the Universe (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]


“A single tiny light creates a space where darkness cannot exist. The light vanquishes the darkness. Try as it might, the darkness cannot conquer the light.” –Donald L. Hicks

While it might seem like there are an endless supply of stars in the Universe, the process that powers each and every one requires fuel to burn. At some point — even though it’s far in the future — that fuel will all be spent, and all we’ll be left with are stellar corpses of various types.

Image credit: E. Siegel.

Image credit: E. Siegel.

But the Universe is full of second chances, and opportunities to bring not only burned-out stars back to life, but to give life to the failed stars-that-never-were. Of all the possibilities out there, what’s going to give rise to the very last light in the Universe?

Image credit: Janella Williams, Penn State University, via http://ift.tt/10EpghW.

Image credit: Janella Williams, Penn State University, via http://ift.tt/10EpghW.

The smart money is on colliding and merging (but not inspiraling) failed stars known as brown dwarfs. Come find out why!



from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1E2LUP2

“A single tiny light creates a space where darkness cannot exist. The light vanquishes the darkness. Try as it might, the darkness cannot conquer the light.” –Donald L. Hicks

While it might seem like there are an endless supply of stars in the Universe, the process that powers each and every one requires fuel to burn. At some point — even though it’s far in the future — that fuel will all be spent, and all we’ll be left with are stellar corpses of various types.

Image credit: E. Siegel.

Image credit: E. Siegel.

But the Universe is full of second chances, and opportunities to bring not only burned-out stars back to life, but to give life to the failed stars-that-never-were. Of all the possibilities out there, what’s going to give rise to the very last light in the Universe?

Image credit: Janella Williams, Penn State University, via http://ift.tt/10EpghW.

Image credit: Janella Williams, Penn State University, via http://ift.tt/10EpghW.

The smart money is on colliding and merging (but not inspiraling) failed stars known as brown dwarfs. Come find out why!



from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1E2LUP2

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