White dwarfs are the glowing lumps of carbon left over after stars have used up all their fuel. They are hot, dense and small, typically with the mass of the Sun packed into the volume of the Earth. The structure of these objects is complex. Astronomers cannot see the glowing carbon embers because white dwarfs are always surrounded by a thin, dense layer of gas, drawn in by the star’s intense gravity. It is this gas that glows with an intense white light at temperatures usually between 8000K and 16,000K–by comparison the Sun’s atmosphere is about 6000K.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.