The as-yet-unnamed planet was detected in the star’s habitable zone, where it is neither too cold nor too hot to sustain life. The research is published in the monthly notice of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Prof Jay Farihi of University College London, who led the research, said the observations were completely new to astronomers.
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“This is the first time something has been seen in the habitable zone of a white dwarf. And thus there is the possibility of life on other worlds orbiting it,” he told BBC NewsSaturday (12/2/2022).
Temporary star very large ones become black holes when they die, while smaller ones like the sun become white dwarfs. This is a star that has used up all its nuclear fuel and lost its outer layer.
They are usually the size of a planet, and emit a bluish-white glow when they first form. The possibility of a planet 117 light years from Earth is estimated to be 60 times closer to the star than planet Earth to the sun.
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The research team has no direct evidence for the planet’s existence but the movement of 65 Moon-sized structures orbiting the white dwarf’s habitable zone, suggests the planet is there.
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