A white dwarf star with a peculiar metal scar could completely change what we thought we knew about dead stars.
Astronomers spotted a 'metal scar' on a white dwarf star found within our galaxy. After closer observation, the astronomers say the scar could be the remains of a destroyed planet that the star ate. The white dwarf, known as WD 0816-310, is a superdense dead star that is located just 63 light-years away from Earth.
Our sun may one day become a white dwarf star and eat the planets within its planetary system. White dwarfs are the slowly cooling embers of stars similar to our sun, which have 'died' and are now cannibalizing pieces of their planetary systems. It's a fate that will likely affect our sun one day and could even be how the Earth is eventually destroyed.
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