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Constellations Containing White Dwarf Stars

A white dwarf is a star that symbolizes the last stage in a star's life. The star has a low to medium mass and is about the same size as the Earth. Toward the end of its life, a star has burned up all the hydrogen in its core and turns into a white dwarf. Several constellations in the night sky contain white dwarf stars, including Canis Major, Centaurus, Pisces and Ophiuchus.

Canis Major
- Canis Major, or the Big Dog, is a constellation that contains the brightest star in the sky: Sirius (the Dog Star). Sirius-B (or "the Pup") is a white dwarf star that is a companion to the bigger Sirius. Despite Sirius being a blue-white color, many early reports refer to it as red. When Sirius-B was discovered in 1862, it was speculated that it was a red giant at one point that overshadowed Sirius. This theory would explain why Sirius was once thought of as being red in color. No definitive scientific explanations have surfaced, however, explaining this rationale.
Centaurus
- Centaurus is located in the southern hemisphere and contains the most notable white star called BPM 37093, or more famously known as "Lucy." It was nicknamed as such because of the star's carbon atoms that are thought to form a crystalline lattice, quite similar to a diamond. The name Lucy came from The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." This white dwarf star is about 50 light years from Earth and is comprised of a hydrogen atmosphere. According to Cave of Knowledge, Lucy also vibrates, which causes its brightness to vary.
Pisces
- Pisces, one of the 13 zodiac constellations, contains 21 stars, one of which is the white dwarf star called Van Maanen's Star. Van Maanen's Star is the third closest white dwarf star to the sun; it is too dim to be seen with the human eye. The white dwarf star's name is derived from its discoverer--Adriaan van Maanen--in 1917. Because of its relative coolness, Van Maanen's Star is thought to be an old star, about 10 billion years old, according to astronomer David Darling.
Ophiuchus
- Ophiuchus, a constellation in the southern sky, contains the white dwarf star known as WDJ1524-0030. In May 2009, scientists from across the world worked together to keep a vigil on this white dwarf star, which was losing its brightness as it cooled. The Ophiuchus constellation itself has been in the news as recently as 2011 because of the sun passing through the constellation between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17, causing astronomers to believe it to be the 13th sign of the zodiac. However, Ophiuchus is not included in popular zodiac calendars.

Astronomy