We are sometimes amazed by space in an unexpected manner. Once thought to have swallowed a planet whole in the blink of an eye, a star actually dragged its victim along slowly. Now, astronomers have found a more peaceful yet breathtaking version of this cosmic feast, courtesy of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Dragged In Slowly, Not Swallowed in a Flash
The star ZTF SLRN-2020 was believed by astronomers to have swollen up and engulfed a planet. Recent studies, however, suggest otherwise. The planet was not consumed completely at one time. Instead, its orbit slowly declined, pulling it closer over time.
As NSF NOIRLab senior researcher Ryan Lau explains, Webb's view gave us something special to see. "We didn't know what to expect. But we were able to discover more about the final days of planetary systems, including our own, through the telescope's infrared eyes."
The star system was watched by scientists with Webb's MIRI and NIRSpec. The system is situated in the Milky Way, roughly 12,000 light-years away. In 2020, the Zwicky Transient Facility in California was the first to see the system flash.
NASA's NEOWISE picked up the infrared glow of the star prior to the flare. Dust was suggested by that. Many assumed that the star had swollen and reached the red giant stage. Webb did not show this edema, though. The star had not developed as expected. That suggested that the fate of the planet was gradual and complex.
The final fall of a planet into its parent star
The fallen planet was likely of about Jupiter's diameter. Its orbit was very close to the Sun, even closer than that of Mercury. Gravity pulled it in for millions of years. It finally touched the outer layers of the star.
The descent was described by MIT and Harvard-Smithsonian's Morgan MacLeod. The atmosphere of the planet began to skim. Then it started to spin faster. As it died, it spread out into the star. Gas from the surface of the star was agitated by this descent. Eventually, that gas cooled and condensed into dust. Scientists were able to reconstruct the final moments due to these remnants.
Gas, Dust, and a Surprisingly Hot Disc
Webb's discovery uncovered more than merely cold dust. Something hotter was found by the NIRSpec instrument: a hot disc of gas encircling the star. There, molecules like carbon monoxide were found. This indicated chaos on the planet's death.
Vassar College student Colette Salyk was stunned. "This is not what we anticipated. Even though no new worlds are forming at the moment, the area seemed more like an area of world-formation."
Webb's Guaranteed Time Observation program, 1240, encompassed the discovery. It focused on brilliant flares of light in space. The entire results were in The Astrophysical Journal.
This was just the beginning, as told by Ryan Lau. We have only closely watched one of these events. We look to the skies and anticipate finding more.
What Might Occur in the Future
Upcoming missions such as NASA's Roman Space Telescope and the Vera Rubin Observatory will be tasked with watching for additional events. These telescopes will scan over and over wide areas of the sky.
The CSA, ESA, and NASA worked together to construct the James Webb Space Telescope. It continues to explore distant planets, galaxies, and cosmic history.
This research sheds light on what could happen to planets like ours. Even Earth could go through such a peaceful fall into the Sun one day.
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