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Hubble Witnesses Massive Comet-Like Object Pollute Atmosphere of a White Dwarf
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Hubble Witnesses Massive Comet-Like Object Pollute Atmosphere of a White Dwarf

NASA / GSFC · 2017-12-08 · photograph (digital archive)

From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

For the first time, scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have witnessed a massive object with the makeup of a comet being ripped apart and scattered in the atmosphere of a white dwarf, the burned-out remains of a compact star. The object has a chemical composition similar to Halley’s Comet, but it is 100,000 times more massive and has a much higher amount of water. It is also rich in the elements essential for life, including nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and sulfur.

NASA Image and Video Library’s own description
Credit lineHubble Witnesses Massive Comet-Like Object Pollute Atmosphere of a White Dwarf. NASA/GSFC, 2017-12-08. Public domain. ID: GSFC_20171208_Archive_e000131.

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