Star Devours Planet, Creates Infrared Transient
Astronomers have observed an infrared transient from a star that appears to have engulfed a planet. The event, detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility, is thought to have been caused by the tidal forces of the star tearing apart the planet as it orbited too close. The observation provides new insights into the interaction between stars and planets in binary systems and the effects of tidal forces.