Astronomers Find Phoenix Planet Reborn From Star's Ashes
Astronomers have discovered a rare 'second-generation' planet orbiting a white dwarf star. The planet formed from the debris left behind after the star died, a phenomenon previously only suspected to occur around pulsars.
Why it matters
This discovery challenges existing models of planetary formation and suggests that planetary systems can be reborn from the remnants of dead stars.
University of Warwick astronomers have discovered the first example of a second-generation planet orbiting a white dwarf , a world that appears to have formed from the remains of the dead star it now orbits.
A team of astronomers led by the University of Warwick and funded by the European Research Council (ERC), have identified the first second-generation planet ever found around a white dwarf. While similar 'reborn' worlds have been suspected to exist around pulsars, this discovery shows that a second generation of planets can form around this much more common stellar remnant.
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