Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Red Giant Stars Can't Destroy All Gas Giants. Some Are Hardy Survivors

This artist's illustration shows a planet orbiting a white dwarf. Planets like this have a tough time surviving a star's transition to a white dwarf. They can be engulfed, torn apart by tidal forces, and vapourized. But some survive, and researchers are trying to understand which ones can endure the calamity and which can't. Image Credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko

Astronomers haven't found many gas giants orbiting white dwarfs. But is that because they're so difficult to spot? Or is it because their survival rate is so low? New research probes the issue.



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