Scientists have discovered a mysterious “iron band” at the heart of a nearby nebula that could provide insight into Earth’s terrifying fate. It is a belt of ionized iron atoms observed extending through the Ring Nebula, 2,283 light-years from Earth.
Researchers are puzzled by the way in which this structure was created, because so far nothing similar has been recorded. One explanation is that they are the remains of a rocky planet similar to Earth, which evaporated due to the expansion of a dying star.
Stars like our Sun, when they use up their nuclear fuel at the end of their lives, undergo a dramatic transformation. The outer layers expand to enormous proportions, while the core contracts and cools. In the end, a white dwarf is formed, and the discarded envelopes form a so-called planetary nebula. According to estimates, in about five billion years the Sun will become a red giant and swallow the Earth.
A new scientific paper states that this previously unseen structure in the Ring Nebula could show what the Earth would look like after its complete destruction. The Ring Nebula is among the closest and most visually impressive planetary nebulae visible from Earth, and is believed to have formed about 4,000 years ago, when the star at its center shed its outer layers.
Are we looking at the remains of a destroyed planet such as the Earth
The main ring of the nebula consists of about 20,000 clumps of dense molecular hydrogen, each of which has a mass close to that of Earth. Because of its high temperature and relative proximity, this nebula is often used to test new telescopes and instruments.
In the current study, scientists observed the nebula using the Large Integral Field Unit instrument mounted on the William Herschel Telescope. This system uses hundreds of optical fibers to simultaneously analyze the different wavelengths of light and the chemical composition of the nebula at each point.
The lead author of the research, Dr. Roger Wesson from Cardiff University and University College London, states that during data processing, the presence of a previously unknown band of ionized iron in the very center of the nebula became apparent.
There are two main scenarios for its origin. The first implies an unknown process during the ejection of material from a dying star, while the second assumes that the ribbon is actually an arc of plasma created by the evaporation of a rocky planet engulfed by the expanding star in the red giant phase. The amount of iron in the strip, according to estimates, corresponds to the mass that would be expected from the evaporation of a planet the size of Earth or Venus.
If this hypothesis is confirmed, the unusual structure in the Ring Nebula could represent a rare glimpse into the distant future of our planet. However, the researchers stress that more evidence is needed, as well as the discovery of similar “iron bands” in other nebulae, in order to determine their origin with certainty, the Daily Mail reports.