Over time, greater numbers, types, and varieties of these phenomena were seen: transient events, where objects in the night sky are seen to change over time.
One type of transient event that must occur would be when a Sun-like star begins to run out of its core fuel, expanding and swelling to many times its original size as it evolves. Eventually, the innermost planet would come into contact with the star’s photosphere, causing it to be devoured entirely. For the first time, astronomers have discovered exactly this behavior in action: a star caught devouring its closest planet. Here’s the remarkable story of how we found it, plus what it’s taught us about our own Solar System’s eventual fate.