AssetID: 52873531
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Scientists May Have Solved Mystery of How a Planet Survived Stellar Cataclysm
Caption: Scientists May Have Solved Mystery of How a Planet, Survived Stellar Cataclysm. BBC reports that scientists believe they finally understand how a planet that should have been destroyed was able to mysteriously survive. 8 Ursae Minoris b was first identified in 2015, but the planet was believed to be unobservable, as it should have been engulfed by a nearby dying star. According to a team of researchers, 8 Ursae Minoris b may have escaped its fate due to the dying star having an unseen companion that prevented its growth. "No planetary system like this has been discovered before. This is the first, which is pretty special.", Dimitri Veras, astrophysicist at the University of Warwick. "The idea of a binary star merger came from effectively piecing together a puzzle." Researchers believe that the surviving planet once orbited two stars at different stages of their stellar lives. One was a hydrogen-burning red giant, while the other was a helium-burning white dwarf. Researchers think that the red giant's helium core was ignited when it consumed its companion star, which brought its vigorous expansion to a premature halt. "Most stars are in binary systems, but we don't yet fully grasp how planets may form around them." "It is plausible that many more peculiar planetary systems may exist due to the influence of binary companions.", Marc Hon, lead researcher from the University of Hawaii, via BBC. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: scientists,discovery,mystery,solved,solve,how,planet,earth,survived,stellar,cataclysm,universe,planets,solar system,space,stars,plantetary
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