Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Thanks to YOUR generosity, we met our funding goal!!! THANK YOU to everyone who made UPR’s Fall Fund Drive a success. Didn’t get a chance to donate? You still can!

Astronomers spot what appears to be a sun-like star eating an orbiting planet

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Michel Martin. It's a first for scientists - seeing a star gobbling up a planet. It was a gas giant about as big as Jupiter. In one big gulp, the star engulfed the planet, letting out a burst of light. The galactic feast took place between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. Experts say Earth may suffer a similar fate one day. That's billions of years away. So like "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" says, don't panic.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.