Did the Sun swallow a massive planet in its youth? Hidden clues may reveal the secret

A recent astronomical study proposes a compelling hypothesis that may help explain some long-standing puzzles related to the Sun’s structure and the history of our solar system, suggesting that the Sun may have engulfed a rocky planet several times more massive than Earth during its early stages.

The study was conducted by Professor Mutlu Yildiz of Turkey’s Aegean University and published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

According to the models used by the researcher, the young Sun’s engulfment of a super-Earth with a mass between five and ten times that of Earth could help reconcile several observations that traditional solar models struggle to simulate simultaneously.

These indicators include the depth of the convective zone, variations in sound speed within the Sun, and the notable depletion of lithium at its surface. The study suggests that the hypothetical planet may have left chemical and structural imprints that remain preserved in the Sun’s interior to this day.

However, the study does not provide definitive evidence that such an event occurred; rather, it presents a testable scenario that could be further investigated through more precise studies of solar oscillations and internal structure.