Astronomers have uncovered a surprising variety of colors among white dwarfs, the dense remnants of dead stars. In a new survey, they found that these objects can glow in shades of pink, purple, yellow, and cyan, challenging the assumption that such stars are mostly white or blue. The most striking discovery is a white dwarf that would appear genuinely green to human eyes—the first known star with that appearance.
The green hue, along with the other unexpected colors, is thought to result from unusual chemical compositions in the stars' atmospheres. Different elements and compounds absorb and emit light in distinct ways, producing these vivid tints. The findings suggest that the final stages of stellar evolution are more diverse than previously understood.
While the source does not provide specific details about the chemical elements responsible, it notes that the rainbow of dead stars emerged from the same survey. The discovery opens a new window into the variety of white dwarfs and may help astronomers refine models of how these objects cool and change over time.