... LP 944-20: A Failed Star Flares . ... NASA Explanation: The tiny spot circled on the right actually represents a big astronomical discovery -- the first detected flare from a failed star. Failed stars, termed brown dwarfs in astronomers' parlance , are too low in mass to ignite nuclear hydrogen burning in their cores, yet still shine feebly as the energy from their gravitational collapse is converted to heat and light. ... Publications with keywords: flare - brown dwarf - star - X-ray . ...