Science · 3 views
Astronomers catch a star slowly snacking on a brown dwarf, 300 light years away
Like Earth, most planetary bodies circle their star in stable, detached orbits. These companionable systems can suddenly change when a planet comes too close to its star.
AI Summary
Astronomers have observed a star 300 light‑years from Earth gradually consuming a brown dwarf that ventured too close. The encounter illustrates how a star can pull a planetary‑mass object inward and engulf it, a process normally seen when planets stray into close orbits. This observation provides a rare view of the slow “snacking” phase preceding a complete merger.
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