A terrifying astronomical surprise: Stars are turning into "planet killers".

 A terrifying astronomical surprise: Stars are turning into "planet killers".

A new astronomical study published in the journal "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society" reveals that aging giant stars may turn into "planet killers," causing them to swallow or destroy nearby planets as they naturally expand during their later stages.

The researchers confirmed that planets orbiting their stars in 12 days or less are the most vulnerable to this fate, as the data shows a clear decrease in the number of these planets around stars that have passed the main sequence stage.

The research team, which used data from the TESS satellite to explore exoplanets , explained that among more than 400,000 old stars, 130 planets were detected near their stars, including 33 new candidate planets.

The results showed that gas giants that remain close to their stars at this stage constitute only 0.28 percent, compared to 0.35 percent in younger stars, with the percentage dropping to 0.11 percent in stars that have reached the red giant stage.

Lead author Edward Brant of University College London and the University of Warwick said: "This is strong evidence that the evolution of stars leads to a rapid influx of planets into them and their destruction. This has always been a subject of debate, but now we see it clearly in large-scale data."

He added: "We expected this to happen, but we were surprised by how efficiently these stars swallow their nearby planets."

The study indicates that planets closer to their stars face a greater risk, as tidal forces—similar to those between Earth and the Moon—deteriorate their orbits until they reach their end. The gas giants may be crushed or torn apart before their stars consume them.

Scientists predict that the Sun will enter a post-main series phase in about 5 billion years. While Earth may survive the red giant phase unlike Mercury and Venus, life on it will not be able to continue.

Co-author Vincent van Elen of University College London said: "Earth is in a better position than the giant planets we have studied, but it is not safe. We have only studied the early stage of star evolution, and the journey is long."

The team hopes to expand their understanding of this phenomenon using the PLATO space mission, scheduled for launch in 2026, which is expected to provide a clearer view of older stars and planet-swallowing processes.