--- title: "High Percentage of Stars Have Eaten a Planet, Research Finds" description: "Research shows that about one in 12 stars have devoured a planet, suggesting that stable planetary systems are less common than believed." date: "2024-03-23" modified: "2024-03-23" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/high-percentage-stars-eaten-planet" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "planets" - "star systems" - "stars" - "the digest" --- # High Percentage of Stars Have Eaten a Planet, Research Finds ![Research shows that about one in 12 stars have devoured a planet, suggesting that stable planetary systems are less common than believed.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Deadly Diet New research has shown that about one in 12 stars have devoured a planet, suggesting that stable planetary systems like our own are less common throughout the cosmos than once believed. As detailed in the [study](), published in the journal *Nature*, the researchers analyzed the chemical composition of nearby stars to search for signs that they'd ingested planetary material. Limiting their focus to binary stars, they found that at least 8 percent of these stellar pairings — seven out of 91 in total — showed chemical signs of planetary ingestion, or "planet signatures." "What's truly surprising is the frequency at which it seems to happen," study co-author Yuan-Seng Ting, an astronomer at the Australian National University, [told ]()*[Space.com]().* "It implies that stable planetary systems like our own solar system might not be the norm. This gives us a deeper perspective on our place in the universe." ## Profitable Pairings Using data from a census of binary systems, the researchers focused on stars that were born together. These so-called "co-natal" stars are effectively identical twins, meaning that when one of them undergoes a change in chemical composition, it's much easier to notice. This also helps rule out other potential causes, ensuring as much as possible that what the readings are seeing are indeed planet signatures and not something else. "We found that some stars differed from their twins," the authors explained in a [writeup for *The Conversation*](), "showing a distinct chemical pattern with higher amounts of certain elements like iron, nickel and titanium compared to others such as carbon and oxygen." "These differences indicate strong evidence that the star has ingested a planet," they added. ## Unsure Footing The reason so many planets are falling into their stars, the researchers suggest, is due to them developing a "wobble." Such instability can often arise in systems that have three or more significantly large moving bodies — read: the three body problem — because they gravitationally interact in extremely complex ways in which even the most subtle perturbations, when played out over millions of years, can destabilize the whole cosmic dance. That's why stars and planets can get [ejected from their systems](), or in this case [get wholly devoured](). As to whether that means our own planet will get cannibalized by the Sun this way, the researchers say it's not likely. "Our study does not suggest we are likely to see such instabilities in our own Solar System," they wrote in *The Conversation*. "Even with our new results, however, it is important to recognize that planet engulfment and instability still occur only in a minority of cases." **More on stars:** *[Elon Musk Says Future Version of Starship Will Travel Between Star Systems]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()