Galactic gobble Star swallows planet in one big gulp

News Summary

  • The sun-like star had been puffing up with old age for eons and finally got so big that it engulfed the close-orbiting planet.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 so, De said they may have thousands of years before becoming the star’s second or third course.Now that they know what to look for, the researchers will be on the lookout for more cosmic gulps.
  • This galactic feast happened between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago near the Aquila constellation when the star was around 10 billion years old.
  • CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — 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.
  • This star gobbled a whole planet in one gulp,” Haswell said in an email.
  • “In contrast, WASP-12 b and the other hot Jupiters we have previously studied are being delicately licked and nibbled.”Astronomers don’t know if more planets are circling this star at a safer distance.
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace WriterCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) 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.Astro [+3042 chars]