{
  "id": 15474645,
  "title": "Green star discovery: Why it's called a zombie star",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/green-star-discovery-why-its-called-a-zombie-star",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T17:33:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/green-star-discovery-why-astronomers-are-calling-this-strange-cosmic-object-a-zombie-after-it-began-consuming-planetary-debris/articleshow/135032978.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Astronomers have discovered a unique green star, a white dwarf known as WD J1330+6435, located approximately 326 light-years away from Earth. This unusual cosmic object, dubbed the \"zombie star,\" earned its name due to its unusual afterlife as a result of accreting rocky material from a planetary companion. The white dwarf's dense atmosphere is enriched with elements like calcium, lithium, and sodium, which have altered its color.\n\nThe researchers found that the sodium atoms in the star's atmosphere are constantly bombarded by surrounding helium atoms, changing the sodium atomic energy levels. Consequently, the sodium atoms no longer absorb a specific orange wavelength, leaving the star with a green glow. This phenomenon is unprecedented, as no other star, living or dead, has ever been reported as green.\n\nThe greenish hue of WD J1330+6435 is caused by the behavior of sodium in its extremely dense atmosphere. Unlike normal stars, which typically exhibit orange, white, or blue colors, this star's green appearance is linked to the physical conditions in its atmosphere. The Sun, while expected to become a white dwarf in the future, is unlikely to turn green due to its atmospheric composition and surrounding conditions. This discovery provides astronomers with new insights into the transformations stars and planetary systems undergo after stellar death.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}