Black dwarf

For other uses, see Black dwarf (disambiguation). This article is about the hypothetical cold remnant. For the supernova remnant, see black hole. For the remnant in semiclassical theory, see black star (semiclassical gravity).
Black dwarf
Characteristics
TypeHypothetical class of future stellar remnant
Mass rangeUp to 1.44 M☉
TemperatureUnder 798 K
Average luminosity0 L☉
External links
Media category
Q5871

A black dwarf is a theoretical stellar remnant, specifically a white dwarf that has cooled sufficiently to no longer emit significant heat or light. Because the time required for a white dwarf to reach this state is calculated to significantly exceed the current age of the universe (13.79 billion years), no black dwarfs are expected to exist in the universe at the present time. The temperature of the coolest white dwarfs is one observational limit on the universe's age.

The name "black dwarf" has also been applied to hypothetical late-stage cooled brown dwarfs – substellar objects with insufficient mass (less than approximately 0.07 M☉) to maintain hydrogen-burning nuclear fusion.

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