Dhaka, Oct. 5 -- Astronomers believe they have discovered a planet unlike any seen before -- one formed from the debris of the very star it now orbits.

The world, described as a "second-generation planet", appears to have coalesced from material cast off by a dying star as it collapsed into a white dwarf -- the dense, cooling remnant left behind when a star runs out of fuel, reports The Independent.

"It's a bit like finding a planet that has risen from the ashes of the very star it once orbited," Jamie Williams, a PhD student at the University of Warwick who led the research, was quoted as saying by The Independent.

The discovery centres on a white dwarf named HS 0209+0832, which displayed an unusual chemical signature -- including lar...