James Webb Telescope Reveals New Insights into Star-Planet Interaction 12,000 Light-Years Away

New findings from the James Webb Space Telescope challenge earlier assumptions about a star 'engulfing' a planet. Located approximately 12,000 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy, the star was initially believed to have expanded to consume a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting closely. Observations indicate the planet, once orbiting closer than Mercury to our Sun, spiraled inward over millions of years, leading to its disintegration. As the planet fell into the star, it expelled gas, which then condensed into cold dust. The telescope's high-resolution infrared capabilities allowed for precise measurement of the star's emission and surrounding environment, revealing that the star had not expanded into a red giant as previously thought.