Scientists have Recorded the First Ever Green Star Sighting in Space

[u/Affectionate_You_225]

1st image is a mock up on how it would look like illustrated.

The star in question is, named WD J1330+6435, is a white dwarf in the Milky Way galaxy that is located about 280 light-years from Earth ​in the constellation Draco. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). The traces of sodium in the atmosphere of this white dwarf absorb the orange part of the spectrum, leaving behind a ghostly green glow.

From Space.com

This discovery is because scientists have discovered that white dwarfs, the type of stellar remnants sun-sized stars leave behind when they die, can actually take on a range of colours including green if they snack on their rocky planets like cosmic cannibals.

For stellar scientists, the colours of stars have always been indicative of their temperatures. Cool stars look orange, while stars like the sun look white, and the hottest stars glow pale blue. This is akin to a blacksmith's iron glowing red, then orange, then white-hot as it heats up. Researchers have always assumed that white dwarfs follow the same rule. However, new research suggests that these stellar corpses could glow in a range of colours including green, pink, cyan, yellow, and purple.

Mark Hollands of the University of Warwick in England and lead author of the study published in the journal RAS Techniques and Instruments stated:

"In this particular white dwarf, however, the density is so high that the sodium atoms are constantly being bombarded by surrounding helium atoms, which alters the sodium atomic energy levels,"

"The end result is that the sodium atoms no longer absorb one very narrow wavelength of orange they absorb the yellows, oranges and some of the red ​wavelengths. And what you're left with is a star that has a beautiful chartreuse green glow, something that wouldn't be possible for sun-like stars."

[u/Prudent-Aspect5085]

Great, how does this help me. JK this is pretty badass

[u/dextercho83]

So, they discovered the origin star of OA?

[u/balanced_views → u/dextercho83]

Yes, this is where lanterns recharge

[u/Snuggly-Muffin]

Bet a planet orbitting that star holds the hideout of Superman's greatest nemesis

[u/HoikDini]

How do they know it's an evergreen? How long are space seasons, anyway?

[u/Ordinary-Paper1634]

Sure they have

[u/DoodleDangWang]

Great news for me. My space game has unrealistic star color like green, kinda didn't want to change the colors anyway. Gonna presume we'll find purple stars too...

[u/IThinkRightLeft]

It shows that core assumptions about star colors are incorrect; science is less about observation than training / group think - like pretty much every human endeavor. Then somebody finds an exception, which either gets chastised (Galileo Copernicus at all) or heralded and funding comes and the herd follows :). Just humans doing human stuff!