Scientists from University College London for the first time discovered an exoplanet, located in the habitable zone of a white dwarf, which is actually a dead star. This means that the new world may contain liquid water on its surface. And this is one of the key conditions that determine the possibility of the existence of life on the planet. Professor Jay Farihi spoke about this.
During the work, scientists discovered a celestial body that was in the habitable zone of the star WD1054-226. Experts came to the conclusion that the natural conditions on it make it possible to ensure the existence of water in liquid form.
The planet is near white dwarf. This dead star is located at a distance of 117 light years from Earth. Research results published Bulletin of the British Royal Astronomical Society.
It is worth noting that British scientists do not yet have direct evidence of the existence of a celestial body. At the moment, their conclusions are based on observations of a decrease in the brightness of the star, which astronomers can only explain by the presence of a planet near the white dwarf.
According to Jay Farihi, he and his team for the first time managed to find something like this in the habitable zone of a white dwarf. This is the name of the stars that used their nuclear fuel and lost their outer layers.