What is the minimum mass required for an object to sustain core hydrogen fusion and be classified as a true star?
Answer
Greater than about 0.08 times the mass of the Sun
To be designated a true star capable of generating its own sustained energy through nuclear reactions, an object must possess sufficient mass to generate immense core pressure and heat. The specific threshold mentioned is having a mass greater than approximately 0.08 times the mass of the Sun, which is equivalent to about 80 times the mass of Jupiter. Objects below this threshold, such as brown dwarfs, lack the necessary gravitational compression to ignite and sustain the core hydrogen fusion process that defines a star.
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