A Heavy-Metal planet orbiting a dead star may foretell our world’s end
Discussion posted by: IRWeasel
When the majority of stars reach the end of their life, they make their own funeral pyre, throwing off most of their remaining gas in a glorious last display of their immense power and leaving behind a dense, cinderlike core known as a white dwarf. But what becomes of any planets orbiting such a star? This question has been difficult to answer, but now scientists say they have detected the suspected remnant of a white dwarf world, a first-of-its-kind discovery that could offer fascinating insights into planetary systems’ dying days across the universe.