Astronomers Watch A Young Star Eat Its Own Planet

Astronomers generally agree that planets form out of the massive disks of leftover debris that surround most newborn stars. As these disks of gas and dust orbit their stars, small clumps of material coalesce, ultimately growing larger and larger until they eventually reach planetary status. However, not all planets make it that far. Sometimes, two nascent planets catastrophically collide — and stars apparently do not mourn their dead.
In a study published July 18 in The Astronomical Jour