Scientists Catch A Star Swallowing A Planet For The First Time

Astronomers have spotted a star swallowing a planet for the first time, shedding light on Earth's eventual fate at the hands of our powerful Sun. When it runs out of fuel in about 5 billion years, the Sun will swallow Earth and decimate everything else in its way.

While scientists have observed the phenomenon before, this is the first time they've seen it in action. In a study published in Nature, scientists reported that they've managed to observe a Sun-like star swallowing a planet.

Caltech/IPAC

It's a star-eat-planet world

The event took place in our Milky Way galaxy 12,000 light-years away near the constellation of Aquila. Astronomers from MIT, Harvard University, and Caltech spotted an outburst from a star than became 100 times brighter over 10 days before fading away, a press release stated.

The explosion was followed by a colder signal that lasted longer. Scientists deduced that this could mean only one thing - that it could have been produced by a star swallowing up a nearby planet.

Also read: James Webb's Sad Discovery About Earth-Like Planet Opens Up Avenues Of Finding Life

Caltech/IPAC

"We were seeing the end-stage of the swallowing," said the study's lead author Kishalay De from MIT. According to scientists, the planet that was engulfed by a star was a hot, Jupiter-sized planet. It was pulled into the star's atmosphere as it died, and then finally swallowed into its core.

When our central star, the Sun, burns out in about 5 million years, a similar fate will befall the Earth and other planets in the solar system's inner planets. "We are seeing the future of the Earth," De added.

NASA

"If some other civilisation was observing us from 10,000 light-years away while the sun was engulfing the Earth, they would see the sun suddenly brighten as it ejects some material, then form dust around it, before settling back to what it was."

Also read: Newly Discovered 'Super Earth' Is Among Largest Exoplanets Ever Found

The signal outburst was first discovered by scientists in May 2020 but it took them longer to ascertain what it could mean.

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