New space discovery could show us our solar system’s future
Recommended for Middle Grades
Scientists have made a new space discovery that could show us how our solar system could be like in the future.
They discovered a planet, known as MOA-2010-BLG-477Lb, which orbits a white dwarf.
What is a white dwarf?
A white dwarf is the remnant (remaining parts) left when stars like our Sun run out of fuel to burn. This remnant, usually about the size of Earth, continues to cool for billions of years.
MOA-2010-BLG-477Lb is a distant Jupiter-like planet. It is located about 6500 light-years away from us, near the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. The planet is about 40% more massive than Jupiter while the white dwarf is 60% the mass of our Sun.
What does the discovery indicate?
Scientists found that the planet and star formed around the same time. The planet is about 2.8 AU (astronomical unit) from the star. An AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun (148 million kilometres). Previously, we had believed that gas giant planets like this (and Jupiter) need to be much further way to survive its star’s death.
This new space discovery means that more than half of white dwarfs also likely have similar planets orbiting them. Moreover, the space discovery suggests that even in our own solar system, Jupiter and Saturn might survive our Sun’s death.
The scientists used the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to study the white dwarf and planet.
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