@astrokirstenAug 28, 2026 · 1:53 · original sound - Dr Kirsten Banks
This planet survived a dead star. WD 1856 b is a Jupiter-like gas giant orbiting a white dwarf—the burnt-out core left behind after a star like our Sun dies. What's mysterious is that its current orbit is so close that it should have been swallowed when its star expanded into a red giant. Astronomers considered the wild possibility that it survived being engulfed by the star, but observations from JWST point towards a different explanation. WD 1856 b may have been gravitationally dragged inward by the two other stars in its triple-star system, long after its original star became a white dwarf. JWST also found that the planet is surprisingly hot—around 126°C—suggesting its orbit was dramatically altered billions of years after its parent star died. A planet that survived the death of its star? Science is so freaking cool. 🚀 #JWST #Astronomy #Exoplanet #Space #Astrophysics
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