The Physics of Raining Sand

A new paper presents an analysis of 113 red and brown dwarf stars that discovered silicate clouds in the cool brown dwarfs

IMAGE: Brown dwarfs — celestial objects that fall between stars and planets — are shown in this illustration with a range of temperatures, from hottest (left) to coldest (right). The two in the middle represent those in the right temperature range for clouds made of silicates to form. CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech

As we find more and more worlds across our galaxy, researchers are focusing more and more on what kinds of environments can support life and what kinds of weather can make existence harder or easier. And it turns…