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Scientists discover rare green and pink white dwarf stars
Published : Saturday, 17 October, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Observer Online Report
Astronomers have identified a rare white dwarf star whose light would appear green to the human eye, alongside another that would look salmon pink, offering new insights into the composition and history of dead stars.
The discovery was made by a team led by Mark Hollands, an astronomer at the University of Warwick in England, while studying white dwarfs — the remnants of stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel.
The unusual colours are linked to the stars’ atmospheric composition and physical conditions. Researchers found significant amounts of metals, including calcium, sodium and lithium, in the green-appearing white dwarf.
Scientists believe these elements may have come from rocky asteroids or the remains of planets that ventured too close to the dead star. The star’s strong gravitational pull can tear such objects apart, allowing the resulting debris to mix with its outer layers.
Researchers describe the process as a kind of cosmic forensic investigation, as the chemical signatures on a white dwarf can reveal clues about planetary material it has consumed over billions of years.
The observations also identified a white dwarf with a salmon-pink appearance, associated with a dense layer of carbon.
The stars are among several white dwarfs studied within about 65 light-years of Earth. Their apparent colours were inferred by analysing the wavelengths of light they emit, rather than through direct observation with the naked eye.
Scientists expect further analysis of stellar light using advanced instruments to reveal more unusual white dwarfs and provide additional clues about the fate of planetary systems.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
