Astronomers using NASA Hubble data have found evidence of a second-generation planet around the white dwarf star HS 0209+0832, suggesting planets can form from the remnants of their host stars.
Why it matters. This discovery could provide new insights into planetary formation and the evolution of stars and their systems.
Diligent sleuthing by astronomers uncovered a surprising chemical clue that indicates the white dwarf star HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet. This artist’s concept released on Oct. 5, 2026, depicts that possible explanation.
The white dwarf is the “dead” core of a star that burned through all of its nuclear fuel and lost its outer envelope of gas and dust to space. The second-generation planet formed from that cast-off gas and dust, which is why its chemical content is very different from a planet that formed as its host star was forming.
