Dwarfs were the topic of Ohio State astronomy professor Robert Wing’s presentation at the American Astronomical Society meeting.Dwarf carbon stars, that is.Dwarf stars are dying stars that have collapsed to about the size of the Earth and are slowly cooling off. Most carbon stars are giants, but some of them are dwarfs, which are just now starting to be recognized, Wing said.’Carbon stars are stars which have more carbon than oxygen in the atmosphere,’ Wing said. The carbon structure is obviously peculiar, he said.This becomes a question of sorting out stars and trying to learn which kind of star is what from the limited resources that are available, he said.Wing’s poster-paper presentation described carbon stars, ‘which affect the whole galaxy, because every time that star emits carbon out into space, the interstellar medium (gas and dust distributed between the stars) becomes richer and richer in that element,’ Wing said.The society meets twice a year giving esteemed astronomers the opportunity to present their research.One resource that will allow astronomers to see such things as isolated stars and carbon stars is the telescope currently being built in Arizona, Wing said.This will be the largest telescope in the world, and will give Ohio State students and faculty a chance to study astronomy in a way they never have before, up close.Patrick Osmer, department chair in astronomy, said research is projected to begin on the telescope in five years.Wing is expecting to work on the new telescope, but he will spend most of his time researching dwarf carbon stars in his book-filled office here at OSU, he said.It is important to discover the effects these carbon stars have on our galaxy, he said.Wing presented his research on the stars at the society meeting in January.