Why are black dwarfs hypothetical at this point?

1 Answer
George C.
Nov 30, 2015

Simply because it would take longer than the current age of the universe for a white dwarf to cool to the point of being a black dwarf.

Explanation:

Black dwarf is the term for a white dwarf that has cooled to the point that it no longer emits significant radiation. It is calculated that this would take somewhat longer than the 13.8 billion years that have elapsed since the Big Bang. Exactly how much longer is debated and depends on a number of factors, but would probably take about 10^15 years.

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