Star on the Brink of Death Devours a Planet - An Astronomical Marvel Unveiled

 As the cosmos unfolds its mysteries, astronomers delve deeper into the life and death of stars, seeking insights into their interactions with planetary systems throughout their lifespan. Recent research sheds light on the remarkable phenomenon of Sun-like stars expanding to 100-1,000 times their original size as they approach the end of their lives, culminating in the consumption of their inner planets. Such extraordinary events are believed to transpire only a handful of times per year within the vast expanse of the Milky Way.

Harnessing the power of the Gemini telescope, astronomers have now witnessed firsthand the awe-inspiring spectacle of a dying star expanding to engulf one of its own planets. This groundbreaking discovery was enabled by a "long, low-energy" detector burst originating from a star situated approximately 13,000 light-years away in the Milky Way. This astronomical marvel may very well foreshadow the ultimate fate of Mercury, Venus, and Earth as our Sun faces its inevitable demise in roughly five billion years.

Throughout the majority of its existence, a Sun-like star undergoes a continuous process of hydrogen fusion, converting the element into helium within its intensely heated and dense core. This reaction counteracts the immense gravitational force exerted by the star's outer layers. Once the hydrogen within the core is depleted, the star transitions to fusing helium into carbon, causing hydrogen fusion to shift to the outer layers. As a result, the star swells in size and ultimately transforms into a red giant.

Source: NOIRLAB