Astronomers discover double gas rings around white dwarf WD J1328−1450

An international team of astronomers has identified a rare double debris disc consisting of two concentric rings of gas surrounding the white dwarf WD J1328−1450. Located approximately 1,600 light-years from Earth, this structure is unique because the two gas rings are separated by a distinct zone where gas appears to be absent.

Research published in Nature Astronomy suggests that the stability of these rings may be maintained by two surviving planetary bodies. One body is estimated to be similar in size to a small asteroid, while the larger outer body is comparable to the size of Pluto or the Moon. These objects likely survived the violent expansion and destruction of their parent star.

The discovery was made using the X-shooter spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Led by Nicola Pietro Gentile Fusillo of the University of Trieste and INAF, the study provides new insights into the complex processes that occur as planetary systems reach their final stages of evolution.