Brown Dwarf 2MASSJ22282889-431026

This artist's conception illustrates the brown dwarf named 2MASSJ22282889-431026. NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes observed the object to learn more about its turbulent atmosphere. Brown dwarfs are more massive and hotter than planets but lack the mass required to become sizzling stars. Their atmospheres can be similar to the giant planet Jupiter's.

Spitzer and Hubble simultaneously observed the object as it rotated every 1.4 hours. The results suggest wind-driven, planet-size clouds.

Illustration credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Note: For more information, see PIA16608: Anatomy of Brown Dwarf's Atmosphere (Artist Concept), PIA16612: Probing Brown Dwarf Layers, and NASA Telescopes See Weather Patterns in Brown Dwarf.