Webb Telescope Makes History: Capturing the First-Ever Planetary Engulfment Event!

Recent observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have changed our understanding of how aging stars interact with planets. Instead of a dramatic and sudden engulfment as once thought, JWST’s data shows that planets slowly spiral inward over millions of years before meeting their end.

This insight comes from a collaboration led by scientists at NSF’s NOIRLab. They analyzed infrared data that revealed a planet, roughly the size of Jupiter, gradually moved closer to its star over time. This process is not just a peaceful approach; it involves a complex interaction where the planet begins to scrape against the star’s outer atmosphere. As it gets closer, it accelerates, creating significant changes in both the star and the planet.

The star at the center of this study, known as ZTF SLRN-2020, is located about 12,000 light-years away in the Milky Way. The initial observations in 2020 showed a flash of visible light, attracting astronomers’ attention. But infrared data from the NEOWISE mission had already hinted at dust buildup around the star, suggesting it was undergoing significant changes.

In 2023, further investigations with JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) revealed that the star had not expanded enough to engulf any planet completely, debunking previous theories. “With its high-resolution look in the infrared, we are learning valuable insights about the final fates of planetary systems, possibly including our own,” said Ryan Lau, a member of the research team.

As the planet descended toward the star, it triggered turbulence, releasing gas and forming a halo of dust that continued to emit infrared light long after the planet had vanished. When scientists examined the area with Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), they discovered a hot disk of molecular gas surrounding the star, containing compounds often found in regions where new planets form.

What’s fascinating is that even in the aftermath of a planet’s destruction, the area around the star possesses characteristics similar to young planetary systems. Colette Salyk, another member of the research team, noted the surprising find: “I could not have expected seeing what has the characteristics of a planet-forming region, even though planets are not forming here."

This work opens new avenues for understanding stellar evolution and planetary dynamics. The event marks a rare moment, being one of the first observed examples of a planet’s end, and researchers expect to witness more instances in the future thanks to advanced observatories like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

With a changing starry landscape, scientists continue to question how events like this could influence a star’s outer layers and surrounding debris, ultimately expanding our understanding of the cosmos and the life cycles of planetary systems. For further reading on this groundbreaking study, you can check the full findings published in The Astrophysical Journal here.

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