Oldest star in the Milky Way galaxy with planetary system identified by UK astronomers

Debris found in the otherwise nearly pure-helium and high-gravity atmosphere was found to be from an old planetary system which had survived the evolution of the star into a white dwarf, leading the astronomers to conclude that this was the oldest planetary system around a white dwarf yet discovered in the Milky Way.

The second ‘blue’ star, WDJ1922+0233, was only slightly younger than WDJ2147-4035 and was polluted by planetary debris of a similar composition to the Earth’s continental crust.

Lead author Abbigail Elms, a PhD student in the University of Warwick Department of Physics, said: “These metal-polluted stars show that Earth isn’t unique, there are other planetary systems out there with planetary bodies similar to the Earth.”

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Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1692194/space-news-oldest-star-milky-way-galaxy-white-dwarf-warwick-astronomers