A Star Devours Its Planet: JWST Catches a Cosmic Meal in Action

Astronomers observed ZTF SLRN-2020, the clearest case yet of a star consuming a planet. Using JWST, they detected warm dust, gas emissions, and possible phosphine—signs of a recent planetary engulfment. The host star remains on the main sequence, suggesting the planet was dragged in by tidal forces, not stellar aging.