News summary produced by Claude AI
An international research team led by University of Michigan astronomer Brooke Kotten has identified evidence that TOI-5882, a star approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth, may have engulfed a planet. The discovery centers on an unusually elevated concentration of lithium in the star’s chemical composition. Since planetary material contains significantly more lithium than stellar material, the presence of excess lithium suggests the star absorbed planetary matter.
When stars consume planets, the process occurs rapidly on cosmic timescales, sometimes completing within days or weeks. This speed makes direct observation nearly impossible, requiring researchers to search for chemical signatures and other traces remaining after the event. The research team employed spectroscopy to analyze the star’s light and measure its chemical makeup. Their analysis revealed that TOI-5882 ranks at least in the 97th percentile for lithium content when compared to 62 similar stars matched by age, mass, and temperature.
The researchers theorize that a brown dwarf orbiting TOI-5882—a massive gaseous object more than 20 times Jupiter’s mass—may have played a role in planetary engulfment. This object could have disrupted the missing planet’s orbit and sent it toward the star. Based on lithium measurements, scientists estimate the consumed planet may have ranged between a couple of Earth masses and Neptune’s mass.
The collaborative effort involved 14 researchers from institutions across the United States and Chile, receiving partial support from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Understanding planetary engulfment events could help astronomers determine how frequently such occurrences happen and what conditions trigger them. The research also has implications for Earth’s future: scientists project that in roughly 5 billion years, our sun will expand into a red giant and potentially engulf Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth.