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Astronomers use beryllium to detect stars that swallowed planets

Original: # ICYMI : How do you know if a star ate its planets? Lithium can disappear inside stars over time, but beryllium lasts l

The SETI Institute is explaining how astronomers can tell whether a star has consumed its own planets. Lithium naturally disappears inside stars over time, making it unreliable as evidence, but beryllium lasts far longer. Its presence can therefore indicate that rocky worlds were swallowed, offering a new chemical clue in stellar detective work.

Why now: The Institute is publicising a new episode explaining this astronomical method, drawing fresh attention to the topic.

SETI InstituteAnne Rathsam

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Evidence

• # ICYMI : How do you know if a star ate its planets? Lithium can disappear inside stars over time, but beryllium lasts longer — giving astronomers another clue that rocky worlds may have been swallowed. Anne Rathsam explains the stellar detective work. Watch the full episode… · setiinstitute · 11

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