Scientists catch glimpse of star swallowing planet in one big gulp
PBS NewsHourMAY 2023
While astronomers have previously seen planets just before and after being engulfed by a star, this is the first time the act of consuming an entire planet has been observed. This discovery is exciting as it represents a missing link in astrophysics and can help better understand the full life cycle of stars.
Astronomers speculate the combination of a white-hot flash followed by a colder, longer-lasting signal could only have been produced by a star engulfing a nearby planet. However, more data needs to be collected to reach a consistent and scientifically agreed-upon conclusion. This data is a clue about how stars behave but not the final verdict yet.