White Dwarf Star Accreting Rocky Debris (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

White Dwarf Star Accreting Rocky Debris

Caption

This is an artist's impression of a white dwarf (burned-out) star accreting rocky debris left behind by the star's surviving planetary system. It was observed by Hubble in the Hyades star cluster. At lower right, an asteroid can be seen falling toward a Saturn-like disk of dust that is encircling the dead star. Infalling asteroids pollute the white dwarf's atmosphere with silicon.

Credit

NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)

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