Pink star (astronomy)

Simulated surface colour of white dwarf WD J0902+2010

In astronomy, a pink star is a star whose perceived or modelled colour is pink or a related hue. These shades are not separate stellar classifications, but describe different appearances that can result from a star's spectrum and atmospheric properties.

Most ordinary stars have colours broadly resembling blackbody radiation, ranging from orange through white to blue as their effective temperatures increase. However, certain white dwarfs have unusual atmospheric compositions that alter their spectra sufficiently to produce pink or purple modelled colours.

A 2026 study by Mark A. Hollands and colleagues documented a variety of these colours among carbon-rich white dwarfs, including objects with pale purple, vivid pink and reddish-pink appearances.

Atmospheric composition

Pink and purple stars are not a distinct stellar class. Rather, these colours can arise when a star's spectrum differs sufficiently from that of a typical star, causing its light to be perceived as pink, magenta, lilac or purple. This is particularly evident among certain white dwarfs, whose atmospheric compositions produce unusual absorption features that alter the distribution of visible light.

Many of these objects are carbon-rich DQ white dwarfs, including peculiar DQ (DQpec) white dwarfs. Their spectra contain molecular absorption bands produced by diatomic carbon (C₂), particularly the Swan bands. These bands absorb light at specific wavelengths, changing the balance of colours reaching an observer. When the resulting spectrum is converted into a modelled colour, the white dwarf can appear pink or purple rather than white or blue.

Unusual stellar colours are not limited to carbon-rich white dwarfs. Other white dwarfs have atmospheres containing elements such as calcium and sodium, whose absorption features can also alter their visible spectra and produce atypical chromaticities. However, the presence of these elements does not necessarily make a star pink or purple; the resulting colour depends on the combined effect of its spectral features.

Examples

The following list illustrates a range of pink-colored stars mentioned in the 2026 study. The shade descriptions are approximate visual labels for the published sRGB colour codes.


White dwarf	Approximate modelled shade	sRGB hex code
WD J0136+2004	Pale purple or lavender	`#E3D1FF`
WD J0145+2317	Pale blue-lavender	`#D5D8FF`
WD J0320−0716	Pale magenta-pink	`#FFD2F7`
WD J0740+1810	Pale lavender	`#E4E2FF`
WD J0805+0724	Pale peach-pink	`#FFE0D7`
WD J0808+4640	Pale pink	`#FFB4B6`
WD J0820+5204	Pink-lilac	`#FFD8FB`
WD J0832−0408	Magenta-pink	`#FFC7F4`
WD J0852+0428	Pale blue-lavender	`#C4CAFF`
WD J0856+4513	Lavender	`#C7C3FF`
WD J0902+2010	Pink	`#FFA9B2`
WD J0935+0030	Rose-pink	`#FFB1BE`
WD J1011+2845	Vivid salmon-pink	`#FF8775`
WD J1028+3512	Coral-pink	`#FF8C81`
WD J1113+0146	Pink	`#FFABC8`
WD J1141+3836	Rose-pink	`#FFB2CC`
WD J1159−1300	Pale magenta or lilac	`#FFD4FD`
WD J1201+3400	Very pale pink	`#FFE3EE`
WD J1233+0824	Near-white lavender	`#F9EEFF`
WD J1237+4156	Rose-pink	`#FFBFE2`
WD J1309+4445	Pale lavender	`#E5DBFF`
WD J1311+2923	Pink	`#FFACC4`
WD J1333+0016	Vivid pink	`#FD9D83`
WD J1355+3636	Pale blue-lavender	`#D4D5FF`
WD J1356−0009	Pale lilac	`#EAE3FF`
WD J1457+2107	Pale pink	`#FFE7F1`
WD J1501+2100	Pale pink	`#FFDAE9`
WD J1554+0336	Very pale lavender	`#F0EFFF`
WD J1614+1729	Pale salmon-pink	`#FFCEC9`
WD J1835+6429	Very pale blush	`#FDF1ED`
WD J2310−0057	Pale lavender	`#E1D9FF`

Notable examples

WD J0902+2010

WD J0902+2010 is a carbon-rich white dwarf whose modelled appearance is a vivid pink. It has a helium-dominated outer envelope and a deep convection zone that reaches the white dwarf's core, transporting carbon towards the surface. The resulting carbon molecules absorb light across the visible spectrum, including blue, green and yellow wavelengths, contributing to the star's colour.

WD J1011+2845

WD J1011+2845, also known as LHS 2229 or LP 315–42, is a nearby peculiar DQ white dwarf whose modelled colour is deep salmon-pink. Its spectrum contains deep, distorted Swan bands, which suppress much of the visible flux between approximately 400 and 600 nanometres. The distortion has been associated with high atmospheric density and may also be affected by a strong magnetic field. The resulting spectrum produces one of the most distinctive reddish colours in the studied sample.

WD J1333+0016

WD J1333+0016 is a peculiar DQ white dwarf whose calculated colour is a vivid pink. Its chromaticity lies relatively far from the blackbody locus, making its modelled colour more saturated than those of many comparable objects. Its spectrum has distorted Swan bands similar to those of WD J1011+2845, but a greater fraction of its flux is emitted at wavelengths below 450 nanometres, resulting in a different shade.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hollands, Mark A.; Gänsicke, Boris T.; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel; Koester, Detlev (15 October 2026). "Any colour you like: The diverse chromaticities of white dwarfs". RAS Techniques and Instruments. 5 rzag069. doi:10.1093/rasti/rzag069.
1 2 3 4 "Green, pink and purple: astronomers reveal the surprising true colours of white dwarf stars". University of Warwick. University of Warwick. 15 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
↑ "Colors of Stars". Astronomy. Lumen Learning / OpenStax. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
↑ Cain, Fraser (10 February 2009). "Are there Green Stars?". Universe Today. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
↑ Hall, Patrick B.; Maxwell, Aaron J. (2008). "C2 in Peculiar DQ White Dwarfs". The Astrophysical Journal. 678 (2): 1292–1301. arXiv:0801.4586. doi:10.1086/533517.
1 2 Blouin, Simon; Dufour, Patrick (2019). "The evolution of carbon-polluted white dwarfs at low effective temperatures". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 490 (3): 4166–4174. doi:10.1093/mnras/stz2915.