This exoplanet system definitely had the potential for habitable planets
Astronomers have discovered a distance of 150 light-years from Earth remains of the planet, consisting of rocks and water.
This is the first known case of the simultaneous presence of two key ingredients for habitable planets outside our solar system.
This is an asteroid orbiting the white dwarf GD 61. This is the remains of a small (not less than 90 km in diameter) has come off from the orbit of the planet, which was destroyed during the approach with its sun, researchers believe. According to their estimates, it is 26% composed of water (for comparison, the proportion of water in the composition of the Earth - 0.023%).
This planetary graveyard, rotating around the extinct parent star - a rich source of information about his own past life - told the journalist Boris Gensike from Warwick University. - The remains contain chemical indications that in the past it was a water-rich Earth-like planet.
Detection of water in a large asteroid means that the building blocks of potentially habitable planets existed and perhaps still exist in the system GD 61, and probably around a large number of similarities to her parent stars - explains the significance of the discovery of the Institute of Jay Farih Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
Our results show that this exoplanet system definitely had the potential for habitable planets - quoted researcher Connor.
in the wake Independent, inopressa.ru