A Star's Surprising Meal: The Truth About a Dying Planet

The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered a surprising twist in the life of a distant star. The star, known as ZTF SLRN-2020, is about 12, 000 light-years away. Astronomers initially thought the star had grown into a red giant and swallowed a nearby planet. This is a common event in some star systems. However, the Webb Telescope's advanced infrared tools told a different story. The telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) looked deep into the dust left behind. They found that the star was not swollen. This means the planet did not get accidentally eaten by the star's explosive behavior. Instead, the planet met a different fate. It was on a slow, deadly journey towards the star. The planet was roughly the size of Jupiter. It was orbiting too close to its star. Over millions of years, this orbit got smaller and smaller. Eventually, the planet skimmed the star's atmosphere. The planet's material began to spread around the star. This process ended with the planet plunging into the star and burning up. The Webb Telescope's observations are changing what astronomers know about how stars and planets interact. The telescope's high-resolution infrared view is giving new insights. These insights could help understand the end of planetary systems, including our own. The brightening of the star was likely due to the planet's material spreading onto it. This event is the first time astronomers have seen a star actively swallowing a planet. The Webb Telescope's Target of Opportunity program is designed for sudden cosmic events. These events include supernovas and planetary doom spirals. With new telescopes like the Vera Rubin Observatory and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope coming online, more of these events will be observed. These telescopes will provide more data on how planets meet their end. This data will help astronomers better understand the life cycles of stars and planets.