恒星吞噬行星

2023年6月6日

Star Eats Planet
Illustrative Video Credit: K. Miller & R. Hurt (Caltech, IPAC)

Explanation: It’s the end of a world as we know it. Specifically, the Sun-like star ZTF SLRN-2020 was seen eating one of its own planets. Although many a planet eventually dies by spiraling into their central star, the 2020 event, involving a Jupiter-like planet, was the first time it was seen directly. The star ZTF SLRN-2020 lies about 12,000 light years from the Sun toward the constellation of the Eagle (Aquila). In the featured animated illustration of the incident, the gas planet’s atmosphere is first pictured being stripped away as it skims along the outskirts of the attracting star. Some of the planet’s gas is absorbed into the star’s atmosphere, while other gas is expelled into space. By the video’s end, the planet is completely engulfed and falls into the star’s center, causing the star’s outer atmosphere to briefly expand, heat up, and brighten. One day, about eight billion years from now, planet Earth may spiral into our Sun.

Tomorrow’s picture: ring galaxy ring

恒星吞噬行星
示意影片提供: K. Miller & R. Hurt (Caltech, IPAC)

说明: 根据我们的认知这是世界末日。具体来说，此影片所呈现的，是类太阳恒星ZTF SLRN-2020在吞噬自己的行星之景象。尽管许多行星最终会因回旋掉进中央的母星而死亡，但2020年的类木行星呑噬事件则是人类首次直接目睹。这颗位在天鹰座方向的涉案恒星ZTF SLRN-2020，距离太阳约12,000光年远。于这部主题图示动画的开头之时，随着气态行星擦着母星的边缘掠过，其大气被剥去。这颗行星的部分气体被吸收到恒星的大气里，其余的则排放到太空中。在影片结尾时，这颗行星被完全吞没并落入母星的中心，导致恒星的外层大气短暂膨胀、升温及变亮。而大约在八十亿年后的某一天，地球可能也会回旋掉进太阳里。

明日的图片: ring galaxy ring