White Dwarf GD 362 - signs of earthlike planets

In summary, astronomers have discovered that a white dwarf star called GD 362, located 150 light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy, was once similar to the sun and may have had rocky planets like our own orbiting it. The chemical composition of a large asteroid that was ripped apart by gravitational forces as it approached the star was found to be similar to Earth's crust, indicating the possibility of Earth-like planets existing in the past. This discovery suggests that such planets may be fairly common in the universe. Further research is being conducted to understand the implications of this finding.
  • #1
Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
2023 Award
21,868
6,259
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070816/sc_nm/space_dwarf_dc;_ylt=AlGS1eXRs8GTnZf2V8LFS04hANEA [Broken]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chemical elements observed around a burned-out star known as a white dwarf offer evidence Earth-like planets once orbited it, suggesting that worlds like our own may not be rare in the cosmos, scientists said on Thursday.

Astronomers at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Kiel in Germany studied a white dwarf called GD 362 located 150 light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy.

They figured out the chemical composition of a large asteroid that was ripped apart by gravitational forces as it approached GD 362, finding it was similar to the Earth's crust. It was rich in iron and calcium and low in carbon, much like a strong rock, they said.

The white dwarf is surrounded by dusty rings, probably made up of objects shredded as they ventured too close.

"It's probably quite similar to Saturn's rings," UCLA astronomer Michael Jura said in a telephone interview.

GD 362 once was a star similar to the sun. After billions of years, it ballooned into a "red giant" as part of its death process, expelling most of its outer material, then degenerated into a burnt-out remnant called a white dwarf.

The fact that the asteroid is so similar in make-up to the Earth, as well as the moon, indicates that rocky planets like our own may have orbited the star eons ago, Jura said.

And if such planets currently populate our solar system and existed in a planetary system around this white dwarf, they may well be fairly common in the universe, Jura added.

. . .
Interesting possibilities! :cool:

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509193
A Dusty Disk Around GD 362, a White Dwarf With a Uniquely High Photospheric Metal Abundance

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0701469
Infrared Emission from the Dusty Disk Orbiting GD 362, An Externally-Polluted White Dwarf
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
It would be most interesting to see how life might develop as a result of being in orbit around a white dwarf as opposed to a star like our's
 
  • #3
Heh. I wonder if we'll see a total eclipse of another star this way. It's strange to picture an Earthlike planet larger than its sun. If we did luck out like that I suppose we'd get incredibly good data about its atmosphere.
 

1. What is White Dwarf GD 362 and why is it significant?

White Dwarf GD 362 is a type of star that has reached the end of its life cycle. It is significant because it is the first white dwarf known to have evidence of rocky debris, similar to the material found in our own solar system.

2. What signs of earthlike planets have been found around White Dwarf GD 362?

A team of scientists discovered traces of silicon and oxygen in the atmosphere of White Dwarf GD 362, which are key components of rocky planets like Earth. This suggests that there may be remnants of earthlike planets orbiting the star.

3. How were these signs of earthlike planets detected?

The scientists used a spectrograph to analyze the light from White Dwarf GD 362 and found the presence of silicon and oxygen in its atmosphere. This technique allows us to study the chemical composition of stars and their surroundings.

4. Could there be living organisms on these earthlike planets?

It is highly unlikely that there are living organisms on these earthlike planets, as White Dwarf GD 362 is a dying star with intense radiation that would make it difficult for life to survive. However, the discovery of these rocky remnants opens up the possibility of finding other earthlike planets in other systems that could potentially support life.

5. What implications does this discovery have for our understanding of the universe?

The discovery of signs of earthlike planets around White Dwarf GD 362 challenges our previous understanding of how planets form and evolve. It suggests that rocky planets may be more common than we thought and that they can survive the death of their host star. This discovery also expands our search for habitable planets beyond our own solar system.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
909
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
653
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
1K
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
11
Views
2K
Back
Top