Scientists discover exoplanet that may offer a glimpse into earth's fate

Scientists have found an Earth-like planet that may provide insights into the future of the Solar System and the fate of Earth, once the Sun dies and evolves into a white dwarf.

The planet, which is about 1.9 times the mass of Earth, orbits its star at roughly twice the distance between Earth and the Sun. However, this star is a white dwarf, meaning any life that might have existed on the exoplanet was likely obliterated before or during the star’s red giant phase, according to a report by ScienceAlert.

White dwarfs are the remnants of stars like the Sun after they exhaust their hydrogen fuel. As they become unstable, they expand to an enormous size, entering the red giant phase. Eventually, the star ejects its outer layers, and its core collapses into a dense, hot object known as a white dwarf. This white dwarf emits light from the residual heat of the collapse, and it will take trillions of years to cool into complete darkness.


"The white dwarf is about half the mass of the Sun, suggesting that it was originally similar to the Sun in size before it exploded and ejected its outer layers. The current orbit of the exoplanet suggests it was once at about the same distance from its star as Earth is from the Sun (1 astronomical unit), before being pushed further out as the star died," the report added.

In around 5 billion years, our Sun will also become a red giant, expanding out to the orbit of Mars and engulfing Mercury, Venus, and Earth in the process.

The discovery of this exoplanet hints at the possibility that Earth could survive the Sun’s red giant phase, giving scientists hope for the long-term future of our planet.