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This is a list of coolest stars and brown dwarfs discovered, arranged by decreasing temperature. The stars with temperatures lower than 2,000 K are included.
Kirkpatrick et al. 2021 [1] has a more complete list of nearby objects with a temperature below 2,400 K. Objects with a temperature below 500 K from this paper were included in this list.
Star name | Temperature (K) | Spectral type | Distance (light years) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
WISE 0855–0714 | 285 | Y4 | 7.426±0.039 | [2] |
WISE 0336-0143B [3] | 295±10 [4] | Y1? | 32.7 [1] | spectral type is not yet published, but should be around Y1 if we assume MIRI F480M is similar to W2 and by using Figure 13 from Kirkpatrick et al. 2012 [5] Might be a later spectral type. |
WISEA 0830+2837 | 300-350 [6] | >Y1 [1] | 26.87 [1] | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 0238-1332 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 58.66 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 0402-2651 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 39.53 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
WISEU 0503-5648 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 33.18 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 0940+5233 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 43.49 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
WISEA 1257+7153 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 54.18 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 1446-2317 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 37.75 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
WISEA 1930-2059 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 30.67 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 1935-1546 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 47.06 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 2230+2549 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 52.44 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 2256+4002 [1] | 367±79 | >Y1 | 32.04 | spectral type is an estimate |
CFBDSIR 1458+10B | 370 | Y0 | 104 | |
WISE 0825+2805 [1] | 376±88 | Y0.5 | 21.37 | |
WD 0806-661B [1] | 377±88 | Y1 | 62.80 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISE 0350-5658 [1] | 388±88 | Y1 | 18.49 | |
WISEA 2354+0240 [1] | 388±88 | Y1 | 24.97 | |
WISE 2209+2711 [1] | 389±88 | Y0: | 20.17 | |
WISE 0647-6232 [1] | 393±88 | Y1 | 32.78 | |
WISEPA 1541-2250 [1] | 395±88 | Y1 | 19.54 | |
WISE 1828+2650 | 406±88 [1] | Y2V [7] | 32.5 | Temperature could be lower. If it is a binary, its components could be as cold as about 275-350 K. [8] |
WISE 0535-7500 [1] | 410±88 | >=Y1: | 47.48 | |
WISE 1405+5534 | 411±88 [1] | Y0.5(pec?) [1] | 20.62 | |
CWISEP 0321+6932 [1] | 412±79 | Y0.5 | 47.61 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISE 1639-6847 [1] | 412±88 | Y0pec | 14.85 | |
CWISEP 2356-4814 [1] | 412±79 | Y0.5 | 56.62 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISE 0336-0143A [3] | 440±24 [9] | Y0 [1] | 32.7 [1] | |
WISEPA 1738+2732 [1] | 450±88 | Y0 | 24.92 | |
WISEPA 0410+1502 [1] | 451±88 | Y0 | 21.56 | |
WISE 2220-3628 [1] | 452±88 | Y0 | 34.15 | |
WISE 1534-1043 | 453±77 [10] | sdY? | 53 | possibly halo brown dwarf |
WISE 1206+8401 [1] | 454±88 | Y0 | 38.51 | |
WISE 0146+4234B [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 63.09 | |
WISEA 0302-5817 [1] | 460±79 | Y0: | 54.45 | |
CWISEP 0634+5049 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 52.61 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 0859+5349 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 60.62 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISE 0925-4720 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 34.96 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 0938+0634 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 61.31 | uncertain parallax and spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 1047+5457 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 43.37 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISE 1121-6232 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 33.69 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISEA 1141-3326 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 31.36 | |
WISE 1217+1626 B | 460±79 [1] | Y0-0.5 | 33 | |
CWISE 1531-3306 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 55.37 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISENF 1936+0408 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 28.64 | spectral type is an estimate |
CWISEP 2011-4812 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 45.94 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISEA 2243-1458 [1] | 460±79 | Y0 | 47,75 | spectral type is an estimate |
WISE 1112-3857 [1] | 461±88 | T9 | 31.79 | |
WISE 0734-7157 [1] | 462±88 | Y0 | 43.78 | |
WISE 0713-2917 [1] | 464±88 | Y0 | 29.84 | |
WISEPC 2056+1459 [1] | 464±88 | Y0 | 23.16 | |
WISE 0304-2705 [1] | 465±88 | Y0~pec | 44.62 | |
WISE 0359-5401 | 467+16 −18 [11] | Y0 [1] | 44.31 [1] | |
WISE 0943+3607 [1] | 468±88 | T9.5 | 33.59 | |
WISE 0833+0052 [1] | 472±88 | (sd)T9 | 40.92 | possible subdwarf |
WISE 1542+2230 [1] | 472±88 | T9.5 | 38.69 | |
WISE 0811-8051 [1] | 479±88 | T9.5: | 32.91 | |
WISEPA 2134-7137 [1] | 481±88 | T9~pec | 29.73 | possible subdwarf |
WISE 2212-6931 [1] | 487±88 | T9 | 40.47 | |
WISEPA 0751-7634 [1] | 492±88 | T9 | 33.32 | |
WISE 0335+4310 [1] | 492±88 | T9 | 38.46 | |
WISE 1217+1626 A | 575 | T8.5-9 | 33 | |
UGPS J0521+3640 | 600–650 | T8.5 | 26.7 | |
2MASS 0939-2448 A/B | 650 [12] | T8 | 17.4±0.4 | |
2MASS 0415-0935 | 764 | T8V | 18.6±0.2 | |
54 Piscium B | 810 ± 50 | T7.5V | 36.32±0.02 | [13] |
2M 1237+6526 | 850 [14] | T6.5 | 46 | |
2MASS J0348−6022 | 880 | T7 [15] | 27.2 | |
SCR 1845-6357B | 950 | T6 | 13.050±0.008 | |
Epsilon Indi Bb | 993 | T6 | 12.05 | |
2MASS 0243-2453 | 1,050 | T6 | 35±1 | |
Cha 110913-773444 | 1,350 | M9.5 | 529 | |
Epsilon Indi Ba | 1,353 | T1-1.5 | 12.05 | |
2MASS 0036+1821 | 1,650 | L3.5 | 28.51±0.05 | |
2MASS 1507-1627 | 1,650 | L5 | 24.12±0.06 | |
OTS 44 | 1,700 | M9.5 | 554 | |
GD 165 B | 1,755 [16] | L4 [17] | 109 | |
S Cassiopeiae | 1,800 | S3,4–S5,8 | 3,100±300 | |
RW Leonis Minoris | 1,800 [18] | C4,3 [19] | 1,053 [20] | |
V384 Persei | 1,820 [21] | N | ||
DENIS-P J1058.7−1548 | 1,850 [22] | L3 | 49 | |
T Draconis | 1,850 [21] | C6,2e | ||
V346 Puppis | 1,875 [21] | C | ||
2MASS J0523-1403 | 1,939 [23] | L2.5V | 41.62 | The coolest main sequence star known as of 2023. |
S Aurigae | 1,940 [21] | C-N5+ | ||
V1426 Cygni | 1,975 [21] | C7,2e |
Brown dwarfs are substellar objects that have more mass than the biggest gas giant planets, but less than the least massive main-sequence stars. Their mass is approximately 13 to 80 times that of Jupiter (MJ)—not big enough to sustain nuclear fusion of ordinary hydrogen (1H) into helium in their cores, but massive enough to emit some light and heat from the fusion of deuterium (2H). The most massive ones can fuse lithium (7Li).
WISEPC J045853.90+643451.9 is a binary system of two ultracool brown dwarfs of spectral classes T8.5 and T9.5, respectively, located in constellation Camelopardalis at approximately 47 ly from Earth.
WISE 1541−2250 is a sub-brown or brown dwarf of spectral class Y0.5, located in the constellation Libra at approximately 18.6 light-years from Earth. This object received popular attention when its discovery was announced in 2011 at a distance estimated to be only about 9 light-years, which would have made it the closest brown dwarf known.. It is not the farthest known Y-type brown dwarf to Earth.
WISE 1828+2650 is a possibly binary brown dwarf or rogue planet of spectral class >Y2, located in the constellation Lyra at approximately 32.5 light-years from Earth. It is the "archetypal member" of the Y spectral class.
WISE 2056+1459 is a brown dwarf of spectral class Y0, located in constellation Delphinus at approximately 23.2 light-years from Earth.
WISEPA J041022.71+150248.5 is a sub-brown dwarf of spectral class Y0, located in constellation Taurus. Being approximately 21.6 light-years from Earth, it is one of the Sun's nearest neighbors, especially assuming outdated parallax by Marsh et al., corresponding to even closer distance of approximately 14 light-years.
WISEPA J173835.53+273258.9 is a brown dwarf of spectral class Y0, located in the constellation Hercules at 24.9 light-years from Earth.
WISEPC J140518.40+553421.4 is a brown dwarf of spectral class Y0 (pec?), located in constellation Ursa Major at approximately 20.6 light-years from Earth. It is one of the Sun's nearest neighbors.
2MASS J21392676+0220226 is a brown dwarf located 34 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. Its surface is thought to be host to a massive storm, resulting in large variability of its color. It is a member of the Carina-Near moving group. This brown dwarf was discovered in the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS).
WISEPA J174124.26+255319.5 is a brown dwarf of spectral class T9, located in constellation Hercules at approximately 15.2 light-years from Earth.
WISE J035934.06−540154.6 is a brown dwarf or sub-brown dwarf of spectral class Y0, located in constellation Reticulum. It is estimated to be approximately 44 light-years from Earth.
WISE J071322.55−291751.9 is a brown dwarf of spectral class Y0, located in constellation Canis Major at approximately 30 light-years from Earth.
2MASS J15031961+2525196 is a nearby brown dwarf of spectral type T5.5, located in the constellation of Boötes at approximately 20.7 light-years from Earth.
WISE 0855−0714 is a sub-brown dwarf 2.28±0.01 parsecs from Earth, therefore the fourth-closest star or (sub-) brown dwarf system to the Sun, the discovery of which was announced in April 2014 by Kevin Luhman using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). As of 2014, WISE 0855−0714 has the third-highest proper motion after Barnard's Star and Kapteyn's Star and the fourth-largest parallax of any known star or brown dwarf. It is also the coldest object of its type found in interstellar space, having a temperature of about 285 K.
WISE J2209+2711 is a brown dwarf of spectral type Y0:, located in constellation Pegasus at 22 light-years from Earth. Its discovery was published in 2014 by Cushing et al.
Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a NASA-funded citizen science project which is part of the Zooniverse web portal. It aims to discover new brown dwarfs, faint objects that are less massive than stars, some of which might be among the nearest neighbors of the Solar System, and might conceivably detect the hypothesized Planet Nine. The project's principal investigator is Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
WISE 1534–1043 is a brown dwarf, Class Y, the coolest class, visible only in the infrared. It was accidentally discovered via the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.
CWISE J1055+5443 is a (sub-)brown dwarf with the spectral type of Y0 (pec). It is around 22 light years distant from earth.