Science & Tech · Space · 1 day ago
Study finds some white dwarfs can appear pink or yellow
A University of Warwick team used computer models to study 151 white dwarfs near Earth.
White dwarfs are expected to look white because their light is usually explained by their temperature.
But the team found that elements in their dense atmospheres can change their color.
Five of the stars studied showed this effect: two appeared yellow and three pink.
The researchers say carbon can make a white dwarf look pink or purple, while hydrogen and helium can make cooler ones look cyan or blue.
They estimate that about 3.3% of white dwarfs may have unusual colors, which could help scientists learn more about how stars form and evolve.
The study does not describe a next step.
A study found that five of 151 white dwarfs examined could appear pink or yellow because of their dense atmospheres and certain elements.
The five included two yellow white dwarfs and three pink ones.
The researchers said the findings suggest about 3.3 percent of white dwarfs could have colors other than white.
The study was led by researchers at the University of Warwick and published in RAS Techniques and Instruments.
The researchers found that the average white dwarf in a representative population is still white.
- Who
- Researchers led by the University of Warwick studied white dwarfs.
- What
- The study found that some white dwarfs can appear pink or yellow because of their atmospheres and certain elements.
- When
- Universe Today published its report on 2026-10-24. The study’s publication date is not stated.
- Where
- The researchers examined white dwarfs within 20 parsecs, or 65 light-years, of Earth.
- Why
- The researchers aimed to learn whether elements in white dwarfs’ dense atmospheres could affect their color.
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- White dwarfs examined
- 151
- White dwarfs with unusual colors
- 5
- Yellow white dwarfs
- 2
- Pink white dwarfs
- 3
- Estimated share with colors other than white
- About 3.3 percent
- Distance from Earth
- Within 20 parsecs, or 65 light-years
What people are saying
This set of red/orange/white/blue are the only colors that are possible for a true blackbody.
One in thirty might not sound like a huge fraction, but across the entire population of white dwarfs in the Universe, that is still a lot of oddly colored stars out there
Yet if we take the median across a representative population of white dwarfs, we found that the average white dwarf really is white.