They found a ‘forbidden planet’ orbiting near the red giant star Paikdu: ‘It shouldn’t be there’

The universe is so big – some believe it is infinite – that there is always room for surprise. There is a transversal law that applies to all planetary systems. sometimes, The star that crowns the place ends up expanding until it swallows all the bodies that surround it. This occurs at a stage in the life of a globular body known as a red giant. The next stage is the planetary nebula. Finally, the white dwarf, which is characterized by a sharp decrease in size.

Needless to say, it’s a very slow process. It could take millions of years. For example, Our sun lies more or less on the equator of its existence. There were about five million springs left to enter the red giant stage. But what is clear is that this world on which we walk will, sooner or later, be fodder for the stellar expansion of that body which today serves to provide us with heat – sometimes too much -.

But there is a planet that has redefined the concept of good luck. 8 Orsay Minoris b -The name is not very attractive- surprisingly escaped her fate. because, On paper, it had been since forever that it should have been swallowed up by the nearest star, which was already a fast-growing red giant. However, the lucky Orsay is still alive – morphologically speaking – as the scientific community was recently able to observe.

After a thoughtful analysis of some of the most brilliant minds in the trade, it became possible to develop a highly plausible theory of Explanation of the improbable survival of an astronomical body. The key, according to a team of researchers associated with different universities, will be the presence of a second star at a more advanced moment in its dynamic evolution. Specifically a white dwarf.

face randomness

It is known as a binary star. That is, a planetary system of two stars. When the youngest of them – the red giant – began to expand, it ended up merging with the older one – the white dwarf -, which caused the formation of a third star, thus delaying the expansion of the object and avoiding the destruction of elements in orbit. And here’s why 8 Ursae Minoris b, on paper destined for perdition, managed to extend his life Kill all enemies.

The team of experts that conducted the research described this rare and fascinating process in detail in an extensive article published in the scientific journal nature. in the text too Leave the door open to some alternative theories, but the consensus seems to unequivocally point to the Interstellar Confederation scenario as, by far, the most plausible. The question of whether or not God plays dice is a matter of debate among geniuses. But, of course, things in the universe have the unmistakable facet of randomness.