Evidence Found of a Red Giant Devouring a Planet

In a recent post on the IO9 blog, astronomers from the from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland have released data concerning red giant BD+48 740 that shows evidence of absorbing one of its close in planets.

This evidence takes the for of elements that are usually not found in start, especially older ones, due to the heat and pressure, that destroys many of the less stable elements, in this case lithium, which shows up in unusually high concentrations.

Also other massive planets in the same system have erratic, elliptical orbits, which seems to indicate a missing planet.

For more, read the IO9 article here