Astronomers suspect that the Sun, early in its existence, may have swallowed a planet the size of a super-Earth. This theory arises from the observation that a planet would be missing from the list of rocky worlds in the inner solar system, where Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are currently found. The idea is that this planet was devoured by the young star before we had the chance to know it.
A new study went further and suggests that this catastrophic event may have left measurable clues inside the Sun, still visible today. The researchers speak of "fingerprints" left by the unfortunate planet that was devoured by our star.
These signatures inside the Sun would be detectable traces of the collision between the Sun and the planet, allowing astronomers to confirm or refute this theory about the early history of our solar system.
