University of Warwick researchers discover second-generation planet

Researchers from the University of Warwick have identified a second-generation planet orbiting the white dwarf HS 0209+0832. According to a study published in Nature Astronomy, this discovery marks the first time such a celestial body has been confirmed orbiting a white dwarf, as previous observations were limited to pulsars.

White dwarfs are the dense remnants of stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel. While their high gravity typically causes heavy elements to sink into the star's interior, spectral analysis of HS 0209+0832 revealed an unusual atmospheric composition. The star shows high concentrations of heavy metals, including zinc, copper, and niobium, with niobium levels exceeding those of the Sun by a thousandfold. Notably, typical indicators of rocky planets, such as iron, are almost entirely absent, suggesting the planet formed from stellar ash rather than standard rock-forming elements like silicon.