Scientists have identified a water-loss mechanism on Venus that could explain how the once water-rich world became completely parched. In the newly identified process, linked to a previously overlooked molecule high in Venus’ atmosphere, water escaped Venus at double the rate previously estimated. As faster water loss means less time is needed to boil away … Read more
About one in every 12 stars may have swallowed a planet, a new study finds. Previous research had discovered that some distant stars possess unusual levels of elements, such as iron, which one would expect to make up rocky worlds such as Earth. This and other evidence suggested that stars may sometimes ingest planets, but much remained uncertain … Read more
Astronomers have spotted a star devouring one of its planets for the first time. It is a stunning preview of our own planet’s fate, when, in roughly 5 billion years time, Earth too will likely be engulfed by our rapidly expanding sun. The distant planet met its gory demise 13,000 light-years from Earth around a … Read more
