A newly discovered rocky planet, approximately 1.9 times the mass of Earth, orbits a white dwarf star about 4,200 light-years away in the Milky Way. This finding suggests that Earth could potentially survive the Sun's eventual death as a cold, isolated point in space.
The white dwarf, which was once a star similar to the Sun, has now lost much of its mass and is significantly weaker than it was during its main sequence phase. The planet was likely in the 'habitable zone' before the star's death, akin to Earth's current orbit around the Sun, but now orbits at a distance 2.1 times greater.
Astronomers, led by Keming Zhang from the University of California, published their findings in Nature Astronomy. They noted that while the Sun will eventually expand into a red giant and shed its outer layers, the survival of Earth remains uncertain. Current models suggest that while Venus will likely be engulfed, the chances for Earth's survival may be higher than previously thought.
This discovery marks the first time a rocky planet has been found orbiting a white dwarf, expanding our understanding of planetary survival in extreme conditions.