Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope found a gas-giant exoplanet that survived the violent death of its parent star.
The discovery challenges existing models of how planetary systems evolve after a star exhausts its fuel. It suggests that large planets can endure the transition of a star into a white dwarf and maintain their structural integrity.
Designated as WD 1856 b, the planet is located approximately 80 light-years [1] from Earth in the constellation Draco. The planet is slightly larger than Jupiter, measuring roughly 1.1 Jupiter radii [2], and orbits a white dwarf that is approximately the size of Earth [3]. Observations published in June 2026 confirm the planet maintains an orbital period of about 30 days [4].
Researchers from the University of Arizona and the Space Telescope Science Institute first identified the planet in 2020. Recent data indicates the planet still retains a thick atmosphere.
"It was unlike any other exoplanet spectrum we've seen," Dr. Emily Rice, co-author of the study, said.
Scientists are debating how the planet avoided destruction. One theory suggests the planet survived the red-giant phase because it was initially far enough away to avoid engulfment [5]. Another theory proposes the planet migrated inward after the star became a white dwarf, possibly through a common-envelope interaction [6].
"WD 1856 b shows that planetary systems can endure the death of their host stars, challenging our models of post-main-sequence evolution," Prof. Michael Liu of the University of Arizona said.
Dr. Sarah Ballard of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute said that the planet likely moved closer to the dead star after the stellar transition, perhaps through gravitational interactions with other bodies [6].
“"WD 1856 b shows that planetary systems can endure the death of their host stars,"”
This finding provides a rare glimpse into the far future of planetary systems, including our own. By proving that a Jupiter-sized planet can survive the red-giant and white-dwarf phases of a star, the research suggests that the remnants of solar systems may be more resilient than previously thought, potentially altering predictions for the ultimate fate of Earth.
