Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/RIT/J.Kastner et

BP Psc, a more evolved version of our Sun, is seen in X-rays from Chandra (purple) and optical data (orange, green, and blue) in the composite image on the left. Astronomers think BP Psc consumed either another star or a planet as it ran out of nuclear fuel and expanded into its so-called red giant phase. The likely existence of such a "cannibal" star, illustrated by an artist in the panel on the right, provides new insight into how stars and the planets around them may interact as they age.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2010/bppsc/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html