NASA finds rare molecule silane on super-old brown dwarf
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just found the rare molecule silane (SiH4) in the atmosphere of a super-old brown dwarf called "The Accident," sitting 50 light-years from Earth and estimated to be 10-12 billion years old.
This is the first time silane has ever been clearly detected on a brown dwarf or gas giant.
Why is 'The Accident' special?
Unlike most space objects, "The Accident" shows both young and old traits—making it a bit of an oddball.
Brown dwarfs are bigger than planets but not quite stars, often called "failed stars."
Learning what's in their atmospheres helps scientists figure out how planets and stars evolve.
Silane was expected to be found on gas giants
For years, scientists have expected to find silane on gas giants like Jupiter, but it has never been detected—though it has now been found on the brown dwarf "The Accident."
Turns out, "The Accident" formed when there was way less oxygen around, so silicon could bond with hydrogen instead of getting locked away as oxides like quartz.
This discovery opens new doors for understanding how planetary atmospheres work and could help us decode exoplanets in the future.