What is the Smallest Star in the Universe? - RichardACox/financialmarkets GitHub Wiki

In our everyday lives, it can be difficult to truly comprehend the massive sizes if the stars and planets that exist our universe. To date, the largest star that has been discovered by scientists is VY Canis Majoris, which is a red hypergiant located in the constellation Canis Major. VY CMa, as the star is also known, has a size of 2600 solar radii (roughly 1500 times the size of the Sun). For practical purposes, this means that if our Sun was the size of one ring donut, the largest known star in the universe would be equal to the size of the London Eye ferris wheel.

On the other end of the spectrum, scientists recently discovered the smallest known star in the universe. It’s name, however, does not exactly roll off the tongue. Located in the Milky Way galaxy approximately 600 light years away, EBLM J0555-57Ab is about the size of Saturn with a mass that is equal to eight times that of the Sun. Stargazers might wonder why such an unwieldy name is used for such a high-profile cosmic entity. This is precisely why organizations like StarRegister.org allow astronomers of all levels to name a star and give a more personalized touch to the cosmos. Maybe, one day, our little friend EBLM J0555-57Ab will have its own name that is more memorable and accessible.

The Smallest Star Possible?

Looking at the characteristics of EBLM J0555-57Ab, astronomers say that it is actually as small as a star can possibly be. This is because it has the minimum mass requirements for the hydrogen fusion process to occur. This is the activity that powers stars like our Sun and creates the light and heat that is needed to sustain life on our own planet.

Ultimately, this means that if the star was any smaller its core would not contain enough pressure for the hydrogeon process to take place. This would lead to the creation of a brown dwarf, which is a space entity with more mass than the largest gaseous planets and less mass than the smallest stars in the universe. The recent finding is significant because it shows us how small a star can actually be without transforming into a new type of object in space.

Life on EBLM J0555-57Ab?

Of course, life on a gaseous star is not possible for human beings. But if we were to imagine the environment there, it would be colder than most of the gas exoplanets that currently exist in the known universe. Life on EBLM J0555-57Ab would also put some extra weight on each and every one of us. The gravitational pull on the surface is roughly 300 times what is seen on planet Earth, so if you are looking to lose a little weight there are probably better places to travel.

In all, the recent findings are interesting and important for anyone interested in astronomy. We will see if scientists are able to find smaller stars in the years to come.