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Nothing is immortal. Everything has a finite existence, including the stars themselves. How a star dies depends on several factors,For the Sun, this means that in several billion years it will swell to a red giant as it churns through the last of its nuclear fuel. The core that remains will then collapse to become a white dwarf. Of course, the Sun is home to several planets, including Earth.
There are three main ideas as to how planetary systems end. One is that planets can be cast off into interstellar space to becomeAs a star loses its outer layers, its decreased gravitational pull may allow planets to escape their orbit. Another possibility is that planets can survive the red giant stage of a star and remain in orbit. We haveso we know this is a possibility.
The study is based upon a white dwarf known as WD 0816-310, which is what’s known as a “polluted” white dwarf. This means its spectrum shows the presence of metallic elements that aren’t the product of the white dwarf itself. These contaminants could be caused by dust backfalling onto the white dwarf at the end of the red giant stage, or by asteroids or planets colliding with the star.
In this study, the team found evidence of metallic accretion in a short geological period. What’s more, they found that the presence of metals was not evenly distributed across the star as you would expect from dust or a scattering of small asteroids. Instead, they found a localized region of metals, as a kind of metallic scar caused by a single impact.
Given the diversity of exoplanetary systems, it is likely that all three scenarios can occur. We know of rogue planets, we see dead stars with exoplanets, and now we see the scars of planetary impacts upon a white dwarf. One of these fates will be Earth’s. For now, only time knows which outcome it will be.
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