What is the Possibility of Habitable Planets Around Brown Dwarfs?

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What would planets around Brown Dwarfs be like?
I have not seen a whole lot on this topic, so I'm just going to ask a few general questions here that have crossed my mind recently. Habitable meaning, of similar temperature to that of the Earth.

1 - What would we expect habitable planets around Brown Dwarfs to be like?
2 - What types of Brown Dwarf stars would be more conductive to having habitable planets?
3 - What would the view / sky from the surface of such planets look like?
4 - What types of planetary systems would Brown Dwarfs be expected to have?
5 - Would Y Dwarf stars be capable of having habitable planets?
 
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What research have you done on this so far? What have you found?
 
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Technically, exoplanets around brown dwarfs are not planets. The IAU definition is that a planet orbits the sun.

I think you also need to be a little more specific in your questions: "What would we expect habitable planets around Brown Dwarfs to be like?" Um....we'd expect them to be habitable, I guess.

If you are looking for more, you'll have to point us in the right direction.
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
Technically, exoplanets around brown dwarfs are not planets. The IAU definition is that a planet orbits the sun.

I think you also need to be a little more specific in your questions: "What would we expect habitable planets around Brown Dwarfs to be like?" Um....we'd expect them to be habitable, I guess.
Habitable, perhaps, but also inhospitable!
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
Technically, exoplanets around brown dwarfs are not planets. The IAU definition is that a planet orbits the sun.

I think you also need to be a little more specific in your questions: "What would we expect habitable planets around Brown Dwarfs to be like?" Um....we'd expect them to be habitable, I guess.

If you are looking for more, you'll have to point us in the right direction.

I will be referring to them as planets for the sake of discussion and simplicity.

I am looking for information about the general appearance of such worlds and general answers to my questions. To say they are "habitable" does not do much to answer my questions, as that is already a given factor in my line of questioning.

More specific questions - What would general light conditions be? Would stars be visible during the day around planets in the habitable zones of brown dwarfs? What would we expect their general appearance to be?
 

1. Can brown dwarfs host habitable planets?

Yes, brown dwarfs can potentially host habitable planets, although the conditions are quite specific and challenging. Brown dwarfs are substellar objects that are not massive enough to sustain hydrogen-1 fusion reactions in their cores, unlike stars. This makes them cooler and dimmer. A habitable planet around a brown dwarf would need to orbit very closely to receive enough heat, but not so close as to be tidally locked or stripped of its atmosphere.

2. What are the main challenges for habitability around brown dwarfs?

The main challenges include low temperatures, faint luminosity, and high variability in brightness. Brown dwarfs cool and dim as they age, reducing the potential habitable zone over time. Additionally, any planets close enough to be warm would likely be tidally locked, facing the same side towards the brown dwarf, which could create extreme temperature differences between the day and night sides of the planet.

3. How does the age of a brown dwarf affect its habitability?

The age of a brown dwarf significantly impacts its habitability because brown dwarfs cool as they age. Young brown dwarfs are hotter and more luminous, potentially supporting a wider habitable zone. However, as they cool, their habitable zone shrinks and moves closer to the brown dwarf. This cooling process reduces the window during which conditions might be right for life to develop.

4. What kind of atmosphere would a planet need to support life around a brown dwarf?

A planet orbiting a brown dwarf would need a thick atmosphere to help redistribute heat, especially if it is tidally locked. This atmosphere could help prevent the planet from freezing on its night side. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane could be crucial in retaining enough heat to keep water in liquid form, which is essential for life as we know it.

5. Have we discovered any potentially habitable planets around brown dwarfs?

As of now, there are no confirmed discoveries of habitable planets around brown dwarfs. Detecting planets around these objects is challenging due to their faintness and the small size of the habitable zone. However, advances in technology and observational techniques may allow for such discoveries in the future.

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