| Minor planet (5) |  |
In the study published in Science researchers suggest it is most likely that the water detected around the white dwarf GD 61 came from a minor planet at least 90 kilometers (56 miles) in diameterâ
It is likely that the object was as large as Vesta the largest minor planet in the solar system.
The water-rich minor planet was knocked out of its regular orbit and plunged into a very close orbit where it was shredded by the starâ#gravitational force.
Researchers believe that destabilizing the orbit of the minor planet requires a so far unseen much larger planet going around the white dwarf. t this stage in its existence all that remains of this rocky body is simply dust
Using a sophisticated computer model of the white dwarf atmosphere developed by Detlev Koester at the University of Kiel they were able to infer the chemical composition of the shredded minor planet.
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