An Earth-like planet at about 0.012 AU from a typical white dwarf could remain in the habitable zone for roughly 7 Gyr and receive enough light for photosynthesis and prebiotic chemistry.
Serendipitous observation of a white dwarf companion to a JWST/MIRI coronagraphic calibrator
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abstract
We present the unplanned detection of a white dwarf companion to the star HD 218261 in mid-infrared (10-16 $\mu$m) observations with JWST/MIRI. This star was observed as a calibrator for coronagraphic observations of the exoplanet host HR 8799. HD 218261 B has only previously been detected by Gaia, and only in visible light. We confidently detect the companion in the mid-infrared, where it is less luminous than the primary by a factor of ~10$^4$. The visible and mid-infrared photometry are consistent with a white dwarf of $T_\text{eff}\approx10000$ K, $M\approx0.8 M_\odot$, though observation of its optical spectrum is required to precisely constrain its physical parameters. These results demonstrate that precise mid-infrared photometry of white dwarf companions to bright stars can be obtained with MIRI, opening up new possibilities for studying white dwarfs in close binaries.
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Potential for life to exist and be detected on Earth-like planets orbiting white dwarfs
An Earth-like planet at about 0.012 AU from a typical white dwarf could remain in the habitable zone for roughly 7 Gyr and receive enough light for photosynthesis and prebiotic chemistry.