According to a post I saw on the website, “Science News,” when most planet-hosting stars turn into a white dwarf (or “dead” stars), the closest planets are almost immediately obliterated by the initial burnout of the star’s outer-shell of gas. Additionally, even the planets furthest away from the burning-out star cannot seem to escape, since if they move any closer, the dead star’s gravity will destroy them. In a solar system supported by a star, which will most likely end up turning into a white dwarf at some point, this isn’t such good news for earth. However, it turns out in some rare cases, this may not always be the only result of a star’s burning out. In some rare instances, planetesimal, the planet’s particular density, scientists assume, have allowed it to escape the fate of other planets in its solar system.
Science Parable 