Overview

• A new study reveals that about 8% of binary stars show evidence of having ingested planets, challenging previous assumptions about the stability of planetary systems.
• The research, which involved examining 91 pairs of co-natal stars, used data from the European Space Agency's Gaia space observatory and telescopes in Chile and Hawaii.
• This phenomenon of stars consuming planets could make exoplanet hunting more efficient by using stellar chemical compositions to prioritize targets.
• The findings suggest that the stability and order of our solar system may be relatively rare, highlighting the diversity and potential chaos in planetary systems across the universe.
• Scientists believe that understanding which planetary systems are stable is crucial for advancing our knowledge of planetary dynamics and evolution.