The Smallest Stars in the Universe - Red Dwarfs

The smallest stars in the universe are Red Dwarfs. In fact, the smallest stars in the universe have just 7.5% the mass of the Sun. But Red Dwarfs are the longest-lived stars with lifespans stretching from 1 trillion to 12 trillion years. That means the oldest red dwarf star in the universe is just getting started, and the first red dwarf to ever form in the universe will still be around for trillions of years to come. But today's red dwarfs are violent stars, though they will slowly age and cool to become white dwarfs and then ultimately black dwarfs. When the last red dwarf dies, there will be no more stars shining in the universe.

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[Daniel_Batal]

I have been accused of being the dimmest star in my own Universe.

[joedasilva]

I had no idea red dwarfs were so plentiful n lasted so long .
Thanks for another lovely video.

[gputsche]

Well done! I didn't know exactly why red dwarfs burned so long.. Now I know enough to start an argument in a bar... someday...

[whatelseison]

One thing I discovered about red dwarfs that I thought was interesting is how insanely strong their surface gravity is. You'd think more massive stars would have stronger surface gravity but it's actually the opposite. For comparison, our sun's surface gravity is 28g while on Proxima it's 81g. It makes sense when you consider they're not much bigger than Jupiter but are ~100x as massive.

[davidkennedy]

This answers a whole bunch of questions I've had regarding star types and make up (I always wondered why the largest burnt through their fuel quicker etc) A great bite sized chunk of information, thank you!!!

[SuperManning]

Your videos are amazing! You are a great teacher and I believe you are destined for a huge following once people start watching. Kudos!

[mnsplitter]

I would, after watching many of your videos, like to take the time to thank you for your efforts. You explain, in a very concise and intelligible way, very complex and potentially daunting concepts and systems, to such a degree than even this dim star can comprehend. To do so requires both knowledge and sympathy, and I appreciate both in equal measure.

[TheWrightsWay]

Very interesting...I love to having the conversation about the universe and what we know or what we think we know without actually seeing

[tfsheahan]

Good job. I learned several new things about M class stars. Perhaps you're the guy who can disabuse me of my belief that any star that lies along the "main sequence" of an HR diagram is unworthy to be called a' giant' or a 'dwarf'. I'm old enough (70+) to believe that 50 years ago those terms were not applied as they are today. I've even heard our sun referred to as a dwarf star. I don't get it. When did all this happen? Are there no more normal sized stars anymore? Is every thing either a giant or a dwarf?

[chrism]

Another side note, what if in the far far future red dwarfs merge together, very unlikely, but has to happen once in a while and a come together to form main sequence stars again

[MadScienceWorkshoppe]

Others have brushed on some of the aspects touched on here, but this is definitely the most comprehensive I've seen. I didn't expect to learn much, but I learned a lot! You really managed to hit a good balance here. Keep up the great work!

[dropshot]

You mention that humanity will move to another star in 5 billion years. As I understand some other astronomy channels the sun will be heating up in the comming 500 million years to make earth uninhabittable by then (500 million years from now). The sun will by no means become a red giant in that time, but it will get hotter and the earth with it.
I understand that different models for how the sun will evolve likely exist, so if I am wrong please explain.


I subscribed to your channel 2 months ago and am enjoying the content so far.

[ajhproductions]

The most informative and beautifully crafted video on red dwarfs you can find. It’s pretty cool to have a friendly neighborhood astronomer who does the thinking for me! Cheers 🍻

[SergeiKotikov]

Ah, I wonder if astronomers have this drinking game at parties where you take a shot every time someone says that a star 'burns' hydrogen in its core :D

[iknowthings]

What is the breaking mechanism you talked about at 8:15 ? How did metals control the size of stars? Were the first generation stars giant only bcz of absence of metals in the gas cloud?

[andylaweda]

Wow! The Hertsprung-Russell diagram right there on my TV! Sorry Christian if I can't spell HR, my undergraduate astronomy was a long time ago. Until now, I feel like I knew more about "Red Dwarf" the BBC sitcom than actual red dwarf stars, so thank you for this.

[goldenbuglab]

청색왜성에 대해 처음 들었을 때가 떠오르네요. 정말 깜짝 놀라서 어떻게 이럴 수 있지 했었는데...^^
좋은 영상 고맙습니다.

[AsifAAli]

Red Dwarfs are like energy-saver bulbs... :)

[sbruce]

Does a star like ours when it was forming go through the red dwarf phase but continues to grow? What stops a star from growing, besides the obvious of running out of material, why did our star stop growing? It appears that there is a lot of material it could have absorbed. Why do some stars get as big as they do? Wouldn't the solar wind blow the material away and prevent growing larger than our star?

[kevinlalonde]

Your channel is one of the best...im only a lamant but i can totally understand what you are saying. Keep up the great work !!