Astronomers have identified the first documented green star, a rare stellar remnant located approximately 280 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco.
The star, named WD J1330+6435, is a white dwarf, the dense core left behind after a star exhausts its nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers.
According to a study published in the journal RAS Techniques and Instruments, the star developed its unusual green appearance after absorbing rocky debris from planets that once orbited it.
Researchers at the University of Warwick in England found that the debris enriched the star’s atmosphere with elements including calcium, lithium and sodium.
Because of the white dwarf’s extreme atmospheric density, sodium atoms absorb a broad range of yellow, orange and red light, leaving the star with a distinctive green glow.
Astrophysicist Mark Hollands, who led the study, said the discovery revealed a color previously thought impossible for stars similar to the Sun.
The researchers also examined 151 nearby white dwarfs and identified an extraordinary range of colors, including a salmon-pink star located 48 light-years away.
Their findings suggest that the chemical composition of stellar atmospheres can produce colors far beyond those normally associated with stars.
Hollands said the discovery demonstrates that the universe can sometimes be as extraordinary as anything imagined in science fiction.