Astronomers have warned that the fate of planet Earth could be complete annihilation when the Sun expands, in light of a new scientific discovery that offers a rare glimpse into what can happen to rocky planets when their stars die.
According to a recent study covered by the Daily Mail, researchers have detected a mysterious strip of ionized iron stretching across the center of the Ring Nebula, located about 2,283 light-years from Earth. Scientists have described this discovery as unprecedented, as a similar structure had not been observed before within planetary nebulae.
According to the researchers, this strip could be the remnants of a rocky planet similar to Earth that was completely vaporized after being engulfed by its parent star during its transformation into a red giant. It is believed that the Ring Nebula formed about 4,000 years ago when a dying star expelled its outer layers, leaving behind a white dwarf core.
The lead researcher of the study, Dr. Roger Wesson from Cardiff University and University College London, stated that the team used a cutting-edge scientific instrument known as the 'Large Integral Field Unit' (LIFU) mounted on the William Herschel Telescope, which enabled an unprecedentedly precise chemical analysis of the nebula.
He added: 'When processing the data, a strip of iron became clearly prominent in the center of the nebula, a structure that was not previously known.' Wesson explained that the observed mass of iron is consistent with what could result from the vaporization of a rocky planet, noting that the vaporization of a planet the size of Mercury or Mars would yield less iron, whereas the vaporization of Earth or Venus would produce slightly more than was observed.
Scientists believe the Sun will face the same fate in about five billion years, when it runs out of hydrogen fuel and expands to up to 200 times its current size, which would likely lead to the Earth being engulfed or torn apart by the immense heat and gravitational forces.
Nevertheless, the researchers emphasized that the 'vaporized planet' hypothesis is not the only one, stressing the need to observe other nebulae for similar structures before making a definitive conclusion about the true origin of this mysterious strip.
