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Health & Science2h 6m ago

Astronomers discovered a sun-like star, TOI-5882, located 1,300 light-years away, has an unusually high concentration of lithium, indicating it likely consumed one of its planets.

1,300 light-years from Earth

Who
Brooke Kotten, Seth Jacobson, Melinda Soares-Furtado, astronomers from the U.S. and Chile
What
Astronomers discovered a sun-like star, TOI-5882, located 1,300 light-years away, has an unusually high concentration of lithium, indicating it likely consumed one of its planets.
When
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:04:00 GMT · 2h 6m ago
Where
1,300 light-years from Earth ·
Why
The star TOI-5882 shows a high lithium concentration, which is characteristic of planetary material, suggesting it recently engulfed a planet.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery provides a method for studying planetary engulfment events after they occur, offering insights into how stars evolve and interact with their planetary systems, including predictions for our own solar system's future.

Story chain

2 events in this thread
  1. Currently Reading2h 6m ago
    Astronomers discovered a sun-like star, TOI-5882, located 1,300 light-years away, has an unusually high concentration of lithium, indicating it likely consumed one of its planets.
  2. Health & Science2h 6m ago
    Astronomers have discovered a star with an unusually high concentration of lithium, a sign that it may have recently consumed a planet.
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