The Challenges for a Habitable Planet

The Red Giant phase is often a death sentence for nearby planets. Once the star expands, planets may either be engulfed or thrown out of the system. If a planet manages to survive, it will likely be too distant to receive sufficient warmth from the white dwarf, leading to potentially frigid conditions.

Even if a planet were to find itself in a habitable zone, the white dwarf's nature presents additional challenges. The white dwarf is constantly cooling, and the habitable zone it emits would be temporary. Prolonged exposure to a white dwarf would likely make the planet uninhabitable within a few hundred million years.

Miracles and Improbable Solutions

An interesting point from science fiction is the concept of a "terraformable" planet orbiting a white dwarf. Games like Elite Dangerous paint a picture of planets that can be made habitable, but such ideas remain speculative. The harsh conditions around a white dwarf would make it extremely difficult to achieve a state of habitability.

The core question then becomes the likelihood of a white dwarf having a habitable planet orbiting it. Given the characteristics of a white dwarf, including its intense gravity, radiation, and cooling process, the chances are extremely low. Even if a rogue planet with water and other life-supporting elements were captured, it would take an immense amount of time for the planet to acclimate to its new environment.

The Harsh Reality of White Dwarfs

White dwarfs are incredibly hot immediately after formation, emitting X-rays and far ultraviolet radiation. These forms of radiation are harmful to known life forms. As the white dwarf cools over time, it emits less radiation. However, the cataclysmic events leading to the formation of a white dwarf make it highly unlikely that a close-in planet would survive.

While the vastness of the universe does offer a myriad of possibilities, the specific conditions required for a planet to orbit a white dwarf and support life are exceedingly rare.

Given the age and size of the universe - 13.4 billion years and 94 billion light years across - anything is possible, but in the case of a white dwarf, the chances of a habitable planet are highly improbable.