Double rings around white dwarf offer glimpse of solar system’s possible future

Detailed summary

A white dwarf 1,600 light-years away is surrounded by two rings of planetary debris, suggesting some rocky bodies can survive when a star expands and sheds its outer layers.

Astronomers have discovered an unusual double-ring debris disc surrounding a white dwarf, offering a possible glimpse into the distant future of our solar system when the sun reaches the end of its life.

Billions of years from now, the sun is expected to run out of fuel and expand into a red giant before shedding its outer layers and leaving behind a dense core known as a white dwarf. Some planets may be destroyed in the process, while others could survive.

The newly observed white dwarf, named J1328−1450, is surrounded by two distinct rings of planetary debris. Researchers believe the structure may have been shaped by two rocky bodies that survived the star's violent transformation.

Located around 1,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo, the white dwarf was observed using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.

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