Brown Dwarf systems

[womble]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/09/fun_sized_solar_system/

Don't know if anyone noticed this, but it seems to make the likelihood of Rift stepping stones higher, to me. It also begs the question of how 3I astronomers don't know where the brown dwarves that are used as stopping-off points for 'secret' Rift-crossings are...

 

[mike wightman]

They don't even know that space is 3d, so the existence of brown dwarfs will have passed them by completely

And now for the serious answer. The OTU isn't really our universe, there are many astronomical differences, so the lack of brown dwarfs can be put down to that.

An alternative viewpoint is that empty hexes aren't really empty, but do indeed contain dim stars, brown dwarfs etc.

Malenfant wrote an excellent couple of articles for SJG's online JTAS on the subject of brown dwarfs and wandering planets IIRC.

 

[GBoyett]

If you have a subscription to JTAS there's a very good article about brown dwarves. Besides how to generate a BD system, there are some gaming ideas, including refueling depots.

 

[Border Reiver]

Different game but similar problem. The Traveller's Digest published some excellent articles on Brown Dwarf Stars as a means of expanding the American Arm in 2300. These were coveniently placed so as to allow access to the rest of the Star Map and allow room for infinite expansion.

 

[Straybow]

I wonder how extensive the search for brown dwarfs has been. Could there be some nearer to Sol than Alpha Cen and Barnard's Star?

 

[Anthony]

Yes. It's even possible for there to be a very dim M dwarf star closer, though it's not very likely.