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Red Giant Star Swallows Jupiter-like Planet

  • 08 May 2023

On 8 May 2023, scientists announced that they had observed a bloated star swallowing a Jupiter-like planet and then expelling some material into space in a belch.

  • The researchers used the Zwicky Transient Facility at Caltech's Palomar Observatory to spot the star rapidly become 100 times brighter and then figured out why this happened.
  • Located in the Milky Way galaxy: The star is in the early stages of the red giant phase, located in the Milky Way galaxy about 12,000 light-years from the Earth.
  • Depleted Hydrogen Fuel: The star depleted hydrogen fuel in its core, causing it to expand.
  • Resembling the Solar System: The planet, classified as a "hot Jupiter," is similar in appearance to the solar system's largest planet and is several times larger than Jupiter. The planet orbited its star in less than a day.
  • As the star grew, its surface drew closer to the planet's orbit.
  • Sudden Plunge of the Planet: The planet plunged suddenly into the star, powering the emission that scientists observed.
  • A Glimpse of Earth's Fate: This event is a glimpse of the fate that awaits Earth, Mercury, Venus, and other planets as the sun evolves through its red giant phase in about 5 billion years.