Ancient Interloper Stars: Key to Earth's Origins?
Astronomers have discovered an old evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star in the Christmas tree nebula, which raises the possibility that a passing star like this could have affected Earth's development and explain features such as plate tectonics. AGB stars shed radioactive elements that may have contributed to the initial abundance of isotopes crucial for Earth's formation. The presence of this interloper star suggests that more massive stars could end up in similar locations, potentially impacting the development of other planets. Further research is needed to confirm or refute these findings, but if true, it could have implications for the prevalence of life in the universe.