Astronomers find two separate planetary debris rings around dead star
The discovery of concentric gaseous rings around white dwarf J1328-1450 provides clues about what might survive after a star dies.
Astronomers have identified two distinct gaseous rings of planetary debris orbiting a dead star named J1328-1450, according to a Times of India report. The star is a white dwarf, which is the dense core remaining after a star has lost its outer layers.
The discovery was made using the X-shooter instrument on the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, an announcement by the ESO stated on October 27, 2026. Unlike previously observed single gaseous discs, the material around J1328-1450 is organised into two separate, concentric rings.
Researchers believe the unusual structure may be maintained by surviving planetesimals. While these small solid bodies have not been directly seen, their gravitational pull could be responsible for the two rings. One body might be only a few kilometres wide, while another could be as large as the Moon or Pluto.
The rings show different chemical compositions, as magnesium emission was detected in the inner ring but is significantly depleted in the outer ring. Scientists suggest the rings could contain debris from two different planetary bodies or material from different layers of a single body.
The findings, published in Nature Astronomy on October 26, 2026, offer insight into what may remain in a solar system after a star like the Sun exhausts its fuel and becomes a white dwarf.