Astronomers Find First Possible Planet Born From a Dead Star's Remains
An astronomical breakthrough this month has scientists buzzing. Researchers say that they have detected the first-ever second-generation planet. What defines a second-generation planet, and why is its confirmation important? Read on for the exciting details.
Could Dead Stars Produce Entirely New Planets?
A discovery in deep space has the astronomy world talking. According to a recent study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists detected a planet that may have formed from what was left of a dead host star. The planet is now orbiting a white dwarf known as HS 0209+0832. This dwarf and its associated exoplanet are located roughly 270 light-years from Earth.
The team of researchers used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other tools to determine that the planet could have formed from material that was expelled from the star as it burned out and collapsed into its current white dwarf state. When a star with characteristics of the sun dies, it fires off its outer layers and leaves behind a smaller hot core called a white dwarf. While astronomers have confirmed a few first-generation planets orbiting around white dwarfs, they have never observed a completely new world that was formed using the debris of the dead star.
Scientists said that they have deduced that HS 0209+0832 could have birthed a new planet due to the evidence of unusual trace amounts of heavy elements on the surface of the white dwarf. According to lead study author Jamie Williams, a doctoral student in the department of physics of the University of Warwick in England, “This planetary material is very rich in an element called niobium. It’s the first time that this element is found in a white dwarf, and this implies that the planetary material is made from the ashes of the star as it died.”
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) corroborated the finding with data that confirmed a faint brightness signal that repeated every 4.4 days. Experts say that this is proof that the planet is orbiting the white dwarf.
“What’s interesting about planets orbiting close to white dwarfs is that because white dwarfs cool over time, their habitable zone is very stable. A second-generation planet could form and then be in the habitable zone for tens of billions of years,” Williams said. The scientist went on to say that more work is needed to confirm that this is indeed a second-generation planet discovery.
Why the Research is Important
Study coauthor David J. Wilson, a research associate at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, is encouraged by what the data has indicated so far. According to Wilson, the discovery could be applied to the Earth's own cosmic surroundings. “The sun will eventually become a white dwarf, so we’re also looking at the future of the solar system here — maybe the Sun will get a new planet someday!”
Previous data have suggested that over 95% of the stars in the universe will devolve into white dwarfs at some point. Astronomers have confirmed and cataloged thousands of these over the years. The latest findings suggest that hordes of second-generation planets could be possible. Taking it closer to home, it could mean that new planets could form in the Earth's solar system after our sun dies.
In addition, previous observations of white dwarfs have demonstrated that some planetary systems are able to survive the death of a star. However, the latest discoveries now mean that entirely new planets could be born from these self-destructing stars.
Lastly, the discovery of the second-generation planet also amplifies past research that notes the complex nature of the various planetary systems in the universe. While some planets may survive the demise of their host star, others may be consumed by the star's remains. This latest evidence indicates that scientists have barely scratched the surface regarding the possibilities of what happens when a star dies.
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