WD 0032−317

The white dwarf WD 0032−317 is located about 14,000 light years from earth.[1] It is notable for its extreme temperature. WD 0032−317 has 40% of the sun's mass, but has a much higher temperature of 37,000 Kelvin, compared to the suns temperature of 5778 Kelvin. WD 0032−317 formed about three billion years ago when a low mass star (possibly of 1.3 solar masses) expanded into its red giant phase. The star then blew out its outer layers leaving behind the helium-rich core (which is WD 0032−317).

The orbiting brown dwarf, WD 0032−317 b, was massive enough to survive the red giant's nova event.[2] It is an extremely hot and very large (75-88 Jupiter masses) brown dwarf that orbits WD 0032−317. One orbit from WD 0032−317 b takes only 2.5 hours. This object is tidally locked to its star with a day side temperature of 8,000 Kelvin and a night temperature of about 2000 Kelvin making its temperature equivalent to a planet orbiting close to a late stage B-type star. The intense ultraviolet (UV) exposure can break down the molecules in WD 0032−317's atmosphere and vaporize materials from the surface of the brown dwarf.[3][4][5]