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This dying star bears a jagged metal scar

The surface of a white dwarf is marked with metallic patches — souvenirs of its encounter with an asteroid or planet.
This artist’s impression shows the magnetic white dwarf WD 0816-310, where astronomers have found a scar imprinted on its surface as a result of having ingested planetary debris.

An artist’s impression of the white dwarf WD 0816-310, encircled by its magnetic field lines. Credit: L. Calçada/ESO

A white dwarf that gobbled a planet or asteroid spattered itself with the crumbs, revealing details of its eating habits1.

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Nature 627, 11 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00564-0

References

  1. Bagnulo, S., Farihi, J., Landstreet, J. D. & Folsom, C. P. Astrophys. J. Lett. 963, L22 (2024).

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