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Scientists Find a 'Ghostly Green' Star, and That's Not the Only Crazy Color

Scientists have discovered a green star, and it's not the only unusual color among white dwarfs. The study, published in RAS Techniques and Instruments, found five white dwarfs with colors like cyan, yellow, purple, pink, and green.

By Mark Hollands·Oct 18·cnet.com·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

An artist depiction of green and pink white dwarf stars.
An artist depiction of green and pink white dwarf stars.Image: cnet.com

Scientists have found a green star among white dwarfs, which are typically white. The discovery was made using spectroscopy and simulations, revealing the surprising color variety of these stars.

Why it matters

This discovery could provide insights into the composition and evolution of white dwarfs, which are the remnants of stars like our Sun.

Scientists found a star that looks green. This is surprising because most stars are white. The green star got its color from the rocks around it. Other stars can look pink because of the stuff inside them.

Analysis

{"#White Dwarf Atmospheres":"White dwarfs are dense objects with atmospheres composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Trace elements like sodium, calcium, and carbon can interact with the atmosphere, causing the star to appear in various colors. The study found five white dwarfs with colors like cyan, yellow, purple, pink, and green.","#Color Variability":"The color of a white dwarf can change based on the presence of trace elements. For example, the green star WD J1330+6435 has a rocky planetary system that provides the necessary trace elements. The pink star WDJ0902+2010 has a carbon-rich atmosphere, causing it to appear salmon-pink.","#Evolution of White Dwarfs":"As white dwarfs cool, their colors change. The green and pink stars are likely to remain in their current colors for billions of years, while the other stars will shift back to their natural colors after a few million years."}

Key points

  • Scientists found a green star among white dwarfs
  • White dwarfs can appear in various colors due to trace elements in their atmospheres
  • The green star is caused by debris from a rocky planetary system
  • The pink star is caused by carbon-rich atmosphere
  • The colors of these stars can change as they cool
The Upside

The discovery of these unusual colors could help us understand more about the composition of white dwarfs and the processes that shape them.

The Downside

The discovery might not have significant practical applications, but it could lead to new ways of studying stars and their evolution.

Originally reported at

cnet.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsscienceastronomywhite-dwarf-starscolor-variabilityplanetary-systems

Author

Mark Hollands

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Oct 18, 2026

Source

cnet.com

Share

Topics

scienceastronomywhite-dwarf-starscolor-variabilityplanetary-systems

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