Sky science
White Dwarf
Direct answer
White Dwarf: A White Dwarf is a compact stellar remnant supported mainly by electron degeneracy pressure after a lower-mass star sheds its envelope.
It is a hot, Earth-sized stellar core remnant.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related
- Red Giant, Red Supergiant, Brown Dwarf, Neutron Star
It is a hot, Earth-sized stellar core remnant.
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The story behind White Dwarf
Sirius B helped establish a class of faint dense companions unlike normal stars.
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The Wandering Stars
How the moving planets were watched, named and found, and what a transit is.
Why White Dwarf matters
White Dwarf represents the expected endpoint for stars like the Sun and enables precise cooling-age studies.
White Dwarf in practice: an example
A white dwarf can contain roughly solar mass in a body comparable to Earth’s size.
Where readings of White Dwarf go wrong
White Dwarf is not actively supported by ordinary core fusion and is not always visually white.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- NASA Science: Stars - NASA overview of stellar birth, main-sequence evolution, giant phases, remnants, and supernovae.
- NASA Science: Universe Glossary - NASA definitions for common stellar, galactic, orbital, and high-energy astronomy terms.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is a White Dwarf?
A White Dwarf is a compact stellar remnant supported mainly by electron degeneracy pressure after a lower-mass star sheds its envelope.
What do people get wrong about a White Dwarf?
White Dwarf is not actively supported by ordinary core fusion and is not always visually white.
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