Astronomers discover second-generation planet made by dying star

( NewsNation ) — Astronomers have discovered evidence of a second-generation planet found around a white dwarf, according to a new study published in Nature Astronomy.

Researchers focused on white dwarf star HS 0209+0832, the core remnant of a low-mass star that burned through its nuclear fuel.

They discovered chemical signatures indicating the existence of a second-generation planet, a world formed from the cast-off remnants of the dead star.

Most known planets, including those in our solar system, are first-generation planets, which form from material left over when a star is born.

The team used data from NASA’s Hubble Telescope , which contained roughly 100 chemical features from its first observation of the star in 1999 that could not be identified. They identified the chemicals as likely to have come from the material ejected by the star as it died, noting that the elements they discovered could only be formed under the conditions of a dying star. The astronomers theorize that the materials coalesced into a giant gas planet.

The planet is estimated to be a gas giant about the same size as Jupiter, though it’s rapidly losing atmosphere. The astronomers still believe it is likely to survive as the white dwarf cools.

Once the white dwarf maintains a consistent temperature, NASA reported that the planet could remain in a stable habitable zone for millions of years