Sun-like star caught after eating one of its own planets
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4 Articles
A star similar to the Sun may have swallowed its own planet. Astronomers have inferred the cosmic phenomenon from the chemical composition of the star found in the universe.
For many planets, this is the inevitable cosmic fate: one day they are swallowed by their own stars and then slowly melted until they become their constituent elements. This process, known as planetary swallowing, is also destined to happen in our Solar System. When the Sun expands and enters the red giant phase, in several billion years, it will involve Mercury, Venus and perhaps even Earth.
Sun-like star caught after eating one of its own planets
A distant Sun-like star appears to have devoured one of its planets, leaving behind a surprising chemical fingerprint. Researchers found an unusually high concentration of lithium, a strong sign that planetary material was mixed into the star. Careful comparisons with dozens of similar stars confirmed the signal is highly unusual, and scientists think a massive brown dwarf companion may have helped send the planet on its fatal plunge.
Astronomers have found signs that TOI-5882, a Sun-like star located 1,300 light-years from Earth, could have absorbed one of its planets. This is indicated by the unusually high concentration of lithium, which has been confirmed by comparisons with similar stars.
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