A star that has already reached the end of its life may have an unusual heir. Astronomers have detected a planet around the white dwarf HS 0209+0832 that may have formed from material ejected by the dying star. If the hypothesis is confirmed, it would be the first known case of a second-generation planet forming around a white dwarf.
The candidate is about 270 light-years from Earth. It is comparable in size to Jupiter, and a year there lasts just 4.4 Earth days.
The main clue is its chemical composition: astronomers detected rare heavy elements, including niobium, in the star’s atmosphere, along with signs of processes characteristic of dying stars. Scientists suspect that some of the ejected material came together to form a new planetary world. The discovery offers a new perspective on the fate of planetary systems: a star’s death does not necessarily put a final end to them.
