White dwarf star with ''ingredients for life'' discovered

Representational image

New Delhi: Scientists claim to have discovered a white dwarf star which possess 'ingredients for life''.

Using NASA`s Hubble space telescope, they discovered a white dwarf star whose atmosphere is rich in materials that are the basic building blocks for life -- carbon, nitrogen, as well as oxygen and hydrogen, the components of water.

The white dwarf is approximately 200 light years from the Earth and is located in the constellation Bootes, said the study.

White dwarf stars are dense, burned-out remnants of normal stars.

The study presents evidence that the planetary system associated with the white dwarf contains materials that are the basic building blocks for life, said study co-author Benjamin Zuckerman, Professor at University of California, Los Angeles.

And although the study focused on this particular star -- known as WD 1425+540 -- the fact that its planetary system shares characteristics with our solar system strongly suggests that other planetary systems would also.

(With IANS inputs)