GoKawiilAstronomers identify white dwarf WD J1330+6435 as first known green star
Researchers studying the white dwarf WD J1330+6435, about 326 light-years away, found its atmosphere enriched with calcium, lithium and sodium from accreted rocky material, likely debris from an orbiting planetary companion. Their modeling indicates sodium absorbs orange light, giving the dead star a green appearance, making it the first star credibly documented as green. The same study also flagged white dwarf WD J1011+2845, 48 light-years away, as potentially the reddest star ever observed. The findings appear in the journal RAS Techniques and Instruments.
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The discovery suggests that remnants of destroyed planets can alter a star's visible color, offering a new way to study what planetary material once orbited a dead star. Lead researcher Mark Hollands frames the finding as evidence that nature can produce colors once thought purely speculative, which could prompt astronomers to re-examine other white dwarfs for similar chemical fingerprints.
- WD J1330+6435 is identified as the first credibly documented green star, a white dwarf 326 light-years away.
- Its green hue stems from sodium absorbing orange light after the star accreted rocky planetary debris rich in calcium, lithium and sodium.
- The same research also identified WD J1011+2845, 48 light-years away, as possibly the reddest star ever observed.
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Published there as: “Astronomers Discover the First Green Star”
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