Astronomers find evidence of planet born from dying star

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 13:08 · Archive

Scientists discovered chemical signatures suggesting a planet formed from material cast off by a white dwarf 270 light years away.

Astronomers have discovered first-of-its-kind evidence of a second-generation planet orbiting a white dwarf star HS 0209+0832, located 270 light years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. A team from the University of Warwick identified the planet by re-examining data from NASA's Hubble Telescope collected in 1999, which contained about 100 previously unidentified chemical features around the dense dead star.

The researchers found that the chemical signatures matched heavy elements like niobium, which can only form in the exotic conditions inside dying stars. Niobium levels in the system were 1,000 times higher than in our Sun, suggesting a planet had formed from stellar material ejected as the white dwarf died. The team also detected a repeating brightness cycle of approximately 4.4 days, consistent with temperature variations of a massive planet orbiting very close to its star—roughly 25 times closer than Earth orbits the Sun.

Second-generation planets are extremely rare and have been mostly suspected around pulsars rather than white dwarfs, making this discovery unexpected. Jamie Williams, lead author of the study published in Nature Astronomy, described the finding as 'completely unexpected'. If confirmed, it would be the first second-generation planet found around a white dwarf. Co-author Dr. Nicholas Stone noted that although the purported planet appears to be losing atmosphere, researchers believe it is likely to survive.

How it is being reported

• Scientists find evidence of a second-generation planet born from a dying starA team of scientists found evidence of a planet born from a white dwarf in decades-old Hubble data.Engadget · 13 Oct, 12:46
• Astronomers discover possible second-generation planet formed from dying star junkScientists discovered first-of-its-kind evidence of a possible second-generation planet around a white dwarf star some 270 light years away from Earth.New York Post · 12 Oct, 11:00

In this story: HS 0209+0832 · University of Warwick · NASA · Jamie Williams · Nicholas Stone · Milky Way · Cetus

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