are expected to become white dwarf stars later in their evolution. The nearest known white dwarf is Sirius B, at 8.6 light years, the smaller component of the Sirius binary star.

In 1910, Henry Norris Russell, Edward Charles Pickering and Williamina Fleming discovered that, despite being a dim star, 40 Eridani B was of spectral type A, or white. This would become known as the first