From Space · · 1m
Astronomers find first green star
Scientists discover cosmic zombie star turns green just in time for Halloween.
In brief
Scientists discover cosmic zombie star turns green just in time for Halloween. White dwarf WD J1330+6435 glows green after eating planets, becoming first known green star. Originally reported by Space.
Green star discovery
Scientists found the first green star, a white dwarf that glows green after eating planets.
“Most stars, including most white dwarfs, behave like 'perfect radiators,' so their color is set almost entirely by temperature.”
Why stars turn green
White dwarfs glow green when they absorb calcium, lithium, and sodium from consumed planets.
“The traces of sodium in the atmosphere of this white dwarf absorb the orange part of the spectrum, leaving behind a ghostly green glow.”
First green star
WD J1330+6435 is the first known green star, 326 light-years from Earth.
“This has enriched its atmosphere with calcium, lithium, and sodium, and the team's model suggests this would have led WD J1330+6435 to adopt a green hue.”
Cosmic zombie effect
White dwarfs that eat planets turn green, like cosmic zombies consuming rocky companions.
“Imagine standing on a planet and looking up at a green star. It feels like something out of science fiction.”
Reddest star found
White dwarf WD J1011+2845 is the reddest star, 48 light-years from Earth.
“This white dwarf has a deep convection zone that carries carbon from its core to its surface.”
Color rules broken
White dwarfs can glow green, pink, cyan, yellow, or purple depending on their chemical makeup.
“White dwarfs abundant in carbon should be pink or purple, while those that have been enriched with debris from consumed asteroids and comets would take a more yellow hue.”
Rare green stars
Only one in 30 white dwarfs in the universe has an unusual color.
“One in thirty might not sound like a huge fraction, but across the entire population of white dwarfs in the universe, that is still a lot of oddly colored stars out there.”
Research published
The study was published in RAS Techniques and Instruments on Oct 14.
“The team's research was published on Thursday (Oct. 14) in the journal RAS Techniques and Instruments.”
The main idea
White dwarf WD J1330+6435 glows green after eating planets, becoming first known green star.
