Read, Watch or Listen

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope made a surprising discovery about a star, ZTF SLRN-2020, previously thought to have engulfed a planet. Initial observations suggested a red giant star consuming a planet. However, Webb's infrared instruments revealed the star remained calm, indicating the planet met its demise through a slow orbital decay. The Jupiter-sized planet spiraled into the star over millions of years, its material smearing across the star's surface, causing a brightening event. This finding offers valuable insights into the eventual fates of planetary systems and challenges previous understanding of stellar-planetary interactions.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.