Astronomers catch a star slowly devouring a brown dwarf 300 light years away

Astronomers have observed a rare event: a star about 300 light years from Earth is gradually consuming a brown dwarf that strayed too close. While most planetary bodies orbit their stars in stable, detached paths, a close encounter can let a star pull in and swallow a companion whole.

• The star lies roughly 300 light years from Earth
• The object being consumed is a brown dwarf, not a planet
• The event shows how stable systems break down during close encounters