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2w ago

Ringed Brown Dwarf or Super-Jupiter Likely Caused Star’s 200-Day Disappearance, Study Finds

A new peer-reviewed model attributes the long fade to a ringed sub-stellar companion, guiding targeted follow-up with major observatories.

Image
An artist’s impression of the stellar dimming event caused by a brown dwarf or super-Jupiter with massive rings (foreground) forming an opaque “saucer” through which some light from the star ASASSN-24fw (background) shines. A red dwarf star (left) was also discovered in the neighborhood during the research. (Credit: S. Shah et al.)

Overview

  • The F-type star ASASSN-24fw, about 3,200 light-years away, dimmed by roughly 97% for nearly 200 days in 2024–25.
  • Modeling published Feb. 12 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society points to a companion exceeding three Jupiter masses encircled by optically thick rings about 0.17 AU wide.
  • The analysis indicates nearby circumstellar debris likely linked to past or ongoing planetary collisions, unusual for a star older than a billion years.
  • A red dwarf star was also identified in the vicinity during the investigation.
  • Researchers are planning observations with the Very Large Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and ALMA, with a repeat occultation predicted in about 42–43 years.