Astronomers have found what may be the first planet born from the ashes of a dead star. The discovery, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, could open a whole new chapter in planet science.

The likely gas giant orbits a white dwarf called HS 0209+0832, about 270 light-years from Earth. A white dwarf is the dim, collapsed core left behind when a star burns out and ejects its outer layers.

The clue was unusual traces of the heavy element niobium on the white dwarf’s surface. Lead author Jamie Williams, a doctoral student at the University of Warwick, said it is the first time this element has been found in a white dwarf. The material appears to be raining down from a nearby planet.

Data from NASA’s TESS satellite showed a faint signal repeating every 4.4 days, matching a giant planet’s orbit. Williams stressed it is a candidate, not a confirmed planet. The team plans follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.