“NASA Captures Breathtaking Footage of Dying Star’s Cataclysmic Fate: Did It Murder a Planet?”
However, a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society claims to have found the answer: the X-rays were created by fragments of a shattered planet falling onto the star’s surface.
If these observations are correct, the study could paint a terrifying vision of the long-distant future of our own solar system. After all, it’s likely that the Sun will one day become a white dwarf as well — and that means it, too, could destroy planets that come too close to its orbit.
New Observations From The Helix Nebula Suggest Its Central Star Could Be A Planet Killer
The Helix Nebula is roughly 650 light-years away from Earth and located in the constellation Aquarius. It is also one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth, making it observable with binoculars in dark skies.
It formed when a dying star expelled its outer layers of gas, leaving behind a dense, hot core known as a white dwarf. This dying central star emits intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes the surrounding gas to glow. Its stunning visual appearance has also earned the nebula the nickname “Eye of God,” as it somewhat resembles a giant eye in the sky.
NASA/Public DomainAn infrared view of the Helix Nebula.
Naturally, the Helix Nebula caught the attention of astronomers, but previous observations only brought more questions. Strange X-rays emitting from the dying star confused researchers — white dwarfs aren’t known to emit strong X-rays. But the cause of these signals remained elusive for roughly 40 years.
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