A YOUNG STAR NEAR THE HYDROGEN-BURNING LIMIT

We show that V410 X-ray 3, toward the L1495E star-forming complex, is an object with a mass of 0.08-0.15 M-. and an age of similar to 1 Myr. Nonetheless, it has emerged from its natal cloud and can be studied i n detail throughout the optical and near-infrared, providing new insig hts into the character of very young and low-mass objects. It has spec tral characteristics intermediate between those of late dwarfs and gia nts (e.g., first-overtone CO typical of an M6 dwarf, but K I, Na I, an d TiO/VO typical of an M6 giant and CaH intermediate between the lumin osity classes). Its optical and IR photometric colors are consistent w ith those of an M6 dwarf. If the latest theoretical evolutionary track s are valid at young ages and low masses, it appears that the hydrogen -burning limit at an age of similar to 1 Myr occurs at a spectral type of M6-M7.