Dying star consumes Jupiter-sized planet — a fate that eventually awaits Earth
For the first time, scientists have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet — not just a nibble or bite, but one big gulp. Astronomers on Wednesday reported their observations of what appeared to be a gas giant about the size of Jupiter or bigger being eaten by its star. The sun-like star had been puffing up with old age for aeons and finally got so big it engulfed the close-orbiting planet. Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >> While there had been previous signs of other stars nibbling at planets and their digestive aftermath, this was the first time the swallow itself was observed, according to the study appearing in the journal Nature. It’s a gloomy preview of what will happen to Earth when our sun morphs into a red giant and gobbles the four inner planets. “If it’s any consolation, this will happen in about five billion years,” Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics astrophysicist and study co-author Morgan MacLeod said. This galact...