48. Not All Stars Are Hot

48. Not All Stars Are Hot

Because our Sun is basically a giant ball of flame - and one we should be thankful for, because it keeps us all alive and warm - we've been conditioned to think that all stars are the same; massive fiery balls of gas that exist to provide heat and light for any planets in orbit around them. But this isn't the case.

There is a category of stars known as brown dwarfs, and to all intents and purposes they're failed stars. They have the requisite size, but lack the density required to begin fusing atoms, and therefore they can't burn for very long. Eventually they flicker out and cool down, with the coldest ones detected so far being around 80 degrees Fahrenheit; that's cooler than the human body, and cold enough to touch with the human hand. Because they emit no light, and exist in darkness, brown dwarfs are very hard to detect, showing up only on infrared telescopes, and even then, only when we're specifically looking for them. As such, some scientists believe they may be the components of mysterious 'dark matter'.

NEXT

Did You Know...

I

Not all celebrities have fame and fortune, some are just famous – and in a ton of debt. They came from rags to riches, then went back to rags. Whether they’ve filed bankruptcy, ended up in court, or just can’t stop spending, celebrities mismanage their money just like everyone else. They just hide it well.

II

50 Cent coined the term “wanksta,” then “partied like it was his birthday” until he filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. The rapper was said to be anywhere between $10 million and $50 million in debt. In 2016, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut approved a plan for the founder of G-Unit to pay his debts back. He was able to get his bankruptcy discharged in February of the following year.

III

Following a 45-year-long career in Hollywood, acting in more than 70 films, actor Gary Busey found himself in more debt than he was worth. In 2012, it was reported that Busey owed between $500,000 and $1 million worth of debt, but only had $50,000 to his name. The 74-year-old actor owed money to hospitals, banks, the L.A. Waterworks District, and even a storage company. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy that same year. Despite his longstanding career in Hollywood, Busey's net worth is now only $500,000.

IV

Burt Reynolds is still worth five million dollars, but his battles with debt date back more than 20 years. Between bad investments and a pricey divorce from actress Loni Anderson, the 1970s superstar had to deal with over $10 million in debt and decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996. While testifying in a 1994 custody hearing, the South Florida native said he spent $40 million getting through his divorce.

V

The former Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen owes the IRS nearly $5 million. But that's not all. In 2016, his net worth was reportedly still as high as $150 million, but he was nonetheless $12 million in debt at the time – including mortgages, legal fees, and taxes. That same year, Debt.com reported Sheen owed nearly $300,000 on an American Express card alone.

NEXT


Copyright © 2025 CultureHook