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Sun swallowed a super-Earth planet billions ago
12 Sep
Summary
- The sun may have consumed a super-Earth planet early in its history.
- This event could explain discrepancies in solar models and lithium levels.
- Evidence for this planetary ingestion might be hidden within the sun's interior.
Our sun might have acted as a cosmic cannibal in its infancy, potentially swallowing a super-Earth planet billions of years ago. This theory, proposed by researchers, suggests the sun's violent ingestion of a massive planet could explain observed differences between stellar evolution models and actual solar characteristics.
These discrepancies include the sun's convection zone depth and its unusual depletion of lithium. Scientists believe that the chemical signature of this planetary meal may still be detectable deep within the sun's interior, offering a solution to these long-standing solar mysteries.
Previous studies suggested that super-Earths could have formed near Mercury's orbit and migrated into the young sun. This new research explores whether observable evidence of such an event could still exist within our star, awaiting future detection.
