A decades-long mystery surrounding an explosion of X-rays around a dead star has been solved. The radiation is believed to originate from a giant planet’s annihilation, with its remains falling onto a nearby white dwarf star. Researchers have made the discovery after observing the Helix Nebula, located 650 light-years from Earth, over four decades.
The Helix Nebula resembles a technicolor explosion frozen in time, with a central white dwarf star at its core. However, it appears to be screaming in X-rays, emitting radiation that was detected by two space-based observatories: NASA’s Einstein Observatory and the internationally operated ROSAT.
To investigate, researchers examined recent observations of the nebula taken by NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton mission. They found constant X-ray emissions from 1992 to 2002, indicating a significant fuel source.
The most likely culprit behind this phenomenon is a Jupiter-sized world that was torn apart by the white dwarf star’s gravity, leaving behind debris that powers the X-ray explosion. This discovery offers researchers a potential way to explore the final chapters of planets and gain insight into their compositions.
According to Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, this study provides a glimpse into the far future of our solar system. The findings also suggest using X-rays to detect signs of a planet’s destruction could offer new ways to explore the apocalyptic final chapters of planets and uncover information about their compositions.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nebula-x-ray-glow-giant-planet