White dwarf
A White Dwarf is Surrounded by Torn-up Pieces of its Inner Planets and its Kuiper Belt
What will happen to our Sun? In several billion years, it'll cease fusion, shrivel into a white dwarf, and emanate…
Astronomers Spot the Debris From Planets That Formed 10 Billion Years ago
Astronomers find the remnants of ancient planetary systems, and a glimpse of our fate.
A Dying Star’s Last Act was to Destroy all Its Planets
When white dwarfs go wild, their planets suffer through the resulting chaos. The evidence shows up later in and around…
Astronomers Finally Catch a Nova Detonating on a White Dwarf as it's Happening
On July 7, 2020, the X-ray instrument eROSITA captured an astronomical event that – until then – had only been…
If There are Dyson Spheres Around White Dwarfs, We Should be Able to Detect Them
Searching for Dyson spheres, rings, or swarms remains a preoccupation of many astronomers. If there are any out there, they…
A New Kind of Stellar Explosion Has Been Discovered: Micronovae
The most energetic explosions in the Universe come from stars called supernovae. These galactic bombs have the energy of about…
Planet Found in the Habitable Zone of a White Dwarf
Most stars will end their lives as white dwarfs. White dwarfs are the remnant cores of once-luminous stars like our…
Astronomers see Dead Planets Crashing Into Dead Stars
Some planets end by colliding with the remnant of their once shining star.
Aging White Dwarfs Become Even More Magnetic
A survey of white dwarfs shows they get more magnetic as they age, and we don't know why.
White Dwarfs can Continue Burning Hydrogen, Even After They’re Dead
White dwarfs are supposed to be dead remnants of stars, doomed to simply fade away into the background. But new…