Scientists find three ‘failed stars’ that are tearing themselves apart

Astronomers have found the fastest brown dwarf stars in the known universe, spinning at such a rapid rate that they risk ripping themselves asunder.

A brown dwarf, otherwise known as a ‘failed star’, are formed when stars cannot gather enough mass to trigger nuclear reactions, which would convert their cores from hydrogen into helium.

“We seem to have come across a speed limit on the rotation of brown dwarfs,” said Megan Tannock, the Western University physics and astronomy graduate student who led the discovery.

“Despite extensive searches, by our own team and others, no brown dwarfs have been found to rotate any faster. In fact, faster spins may lead to a brown dwarf tearing itself apart.”