White Dwarf Accreting Icy Object (Illustration)

White Dwarf Accreting Icy Object (Illustration)
This artist's concept shows a white dwarf surrounded by a large debris disk. Debris from pieces of a captured, Pluto-like object is falling onto the white dwarf.

Image Description: An illustration showing a glowing white object in the upper left corner. This object is encircled by hundreds of thin, concentric, pale-yellow rings on an angle from bottom left to top right. The rings are palest closest to the central, glowing white object. A curving trail of gray, rock-like fragments marches across the right side, through the thin rings and joins the rings at far right. The eight largest fragments of varying sizes appear in the foreground. These objects have white, comet-like tails streaking away from the glowing white object in the rings’ center. The curving trail of fragments bends toward the glowing white object. At the bottom left corner is the label Artist’s Concept.
Release DateSeptember 18, 2025
Science ReleaseNASA’s Hubble Sees White Dwarf Eating Piece of Pluto-Like Object
CreditArtwork: NASA, Tim Pyle (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Last UpdatedLocationContactSep 18, 2025NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterMediaClaire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland [email protected]
Last UpdatedSep 18, 2025
LocationNASA Goddard Space Flight Center
ContactMediaClaire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland [email protected]
Related TermsHubble Space Telescope, Stars, White Dwarfs