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Astronomers discover second-generation planet made by dying star
Unusual niobium signatures and TESS brightness changes suggest the white dwarf is accreting from a Jupiter-size planet formed from stellar debris.
- On Monday, Warwick researchers reported evidence of a 'phoenix planet' orbiting white dwarf HS 0209+0832, a potential second-generation world formed from debris left behind after the star's death.
- Unlike first-generation planets like Earth that emerge during a star's birth, second-generation planets form from material cast off during a star's final stages, as this candidate did.
- TESS data indicates a gas giant orbiting the system every 4.4 days, and astronomers identified unusual niobium levels in the star's atmosphere suggesting accretion from nearby debris.
- This finding suggests our own solar system might host similar worlds after the Sun burns out in roughly five billion years, though the new world is too hot for life.
- Researchers plan to use the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the system over the next year, which could confirm the planet and establish an entirely new planetary class around white dwarfs.
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Phoenix Planet: Astronomers Uncover First Evidence of World Born From a Star's Death
Astronomers have found compelling evidence of a gas giant formed from material ejected by a dying star, now accreting onto the resulting white dwarf HS 0209+0832. Niobium-rich chemistry and TESS photometry reveal a Jupiter-sized world evaporating in a tight orbit. This candidate phoenix planet offers the first glimpse of second-generation planet formation around a stellar remnant.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources111
Leaning Left15Leaning Right9Center78Last UpdatedBias Distribution76% Center
Bias Distribution
- 76% of the sources are Center
76% Center
15%
C 76%
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