A Dead Solar System 2 Times Older Than Earth Discovered

A group of astronomers from the University of Warwick discovered the oldest star ever detected in the Milky Way Galaxy, in which we are located, and the surrounding solar system.

Astronomers from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom found that the Earth was also included in their research. The oldest star of the Milky Way Galaxy and they discovered the solar system to which it belongs.

This oldest star discovered by astronomers is in the ‘white dwarf’ category and is located 90 light-years from Earth. The solar system, including the icy asteroids and planets in orbit around it, is more than 10 billion years old according to initial calculations!

These stars are called white dwarfs, but their colors vary according to the materials they have:

Illustration of 2 discovered stars. Source: @Warwick University, Dr. Mark Garlick

Astronomers from the University of Warwick, first detected by the European Space Agency’s observatory GAIA. 2 ‘white dwarf’ stars they modeled. Both stars were found to be surrounded by planetary debris. One star was seen to be unusually blue, and the other to be the faintest and reddest color ever seen in the Milky Way (White dwarf stars can vary in colour, we’ll explain later).

WDJ2147-4035 Researchers concentrating on the red star registered with the code; They found that the star is 10.7 billion years old, spending 10.2 billion years of it as a cooling white dwarf. Also the star rich in sodium, potassium and lithium materials was also detected.

WDJ1922+0233 the other star in blue, registered with the code, is slightly younger than the red one; the blue color, on which there are continental crusts like on Earth, due to the wastes around it. atmosphere containing a helium-hydrogen mixture. (Yes, stars also have an atmosphere, and they are also called gasospheres because they are mostly made up of dense gases).

The lead author of the study, Abigail Elms, told Psys.org: “It’s unlike anything known in our own solar system.”

abbigail elms

“We have found the oldest remnants of stars that were once contaminated by Earth-like planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. It is truly surprising to learn that this happened over a period of 10 billion years and that these planets died long before Earth was formed.”

“The white dwarf planet in red is unlike anything known in our own solar system, as its planetary remains are rich in lithium and potassium. This white dwarf planet is very interesting because its very low surface temperature, the metals that pollute it, the very old and magnetic nature of the planet make it last. makes it extremely rare.”

What is a “white dwarf star”?

white dwarf

According to astronomers, many stars, including our Sun, are destined to one day turn into a ‘white dwarf’. Stars, consuming all their energy and losing their outer layers, shrink over time and go into a cooling process. In this process, they turn into smaller forms and mostly turn white due to their fading color. However, due to the substances they have during this cooling, they can form in different colors, just like an iron turns red when it rusts.

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