Hubble data suggests new planet formed around dead star HS 0209+0832

Chemical clues from decades ago

Researchers revisited historical data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope to look for signs of unusual chemistry. They detected high concentrations of niobium surrounding the white dwarf HS 0209+0832. This chemical signature implies that material ejected by the star later clumped together to form a new world.

Size and distance of the object

Additional measurements from the TESS mission indicate the candidate planet is roughly the size of Jupiter. The object orbits very close to its host star at a distance of 3.7 million miles. Scientists note that this formation process differs from how planets typically appear around young stars.

Implications for planetary systems

The discovery challenges the view that white dwarf stages mark the end of a star system story. Instead, these findings suggest new characters can emerge long after the original star has exhausted its fuel. The research team published their conclusions in the journal Nature Astronomy on October 5.