Alien 'phoenix planet' was born from the ashes of a dying star

In October 6th, astronomers discovered a planet born from the remnants of a dying star, aptly named a "phoenix planet." This exoplanet, situated approximately 250 light-years away near the constellation Cetus, orbits a white dwarf, the compact stellar remnant left behind after the star's demise. Classified as a second-generation planet, it did not form from the disk of material surrounding a newborn star, like Earth, but from the leftover material expelled by the dying star.

The planet, a gas giant potentially more massive than Jupiter, orbits the white dwarf every 4.4 days at a mere 4 percent of the Earth-Sun distance. The extreme ultraviolet radiation from the white dwarf is causing the planet's outer atmosphere to evaporate, with a portion then falling into the white dwarf. Analysis of the planet's chemical composition reveals a rich presence of niobium, copper, and zinc, suggesting it formed from the expelled material of its stellar progenitor.

This finding marks the first recorded instance of a planet forming around a white dwarf. While the planet itself is currently uninhabitable, the potential formation of a rocky planet close to the white dwarf could create a habitable environment billions of years from now, as white dwarfs cool predictably over time. Meanwhile, another study published in the same journal details the discovery of a red dwarf star in orbit with a brown dwarf, an object smaller than a star but larger than a planet, located roughly 300 to 500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus.