The sun may once have swallowed a super-Earth planet and could still be hiding the evidence

EarthSky reported that researchers are exploring the possibility that the Sun consumed a planet early in its formation. The hypothesis stems from models of solar evolution that allow a massive body to be engulfed while the young star was still gathering material. This initial claim frames the discussion as a potential missing piece in understanding the Sun’s early history.

Subsequent coverage added details. RBC‑Ukraine described the swallowed object as roughly ten times the mass of Earth, while Gizmodo labelled the Sun a “planet killer.” Phys.org highlighted efforts to detect internal “fingerprints” that could betray planetary material, and Space noted that such signatures might still be concealed within the solar interior. Together these reports expand the hypothesis with size estimates and proposed detection methods.

The outlets differ on the planet’s size, with “super‑Earth” used by Space and “ten‑times‑Earth mass” by RBC‑Ukraine, indicating no consensus on the exact scale. None of the articles present direct observational proof; they all call for further analysis of solar composition. Current reporting leaves the idea unsettled, awaiting data that could confirm or refute the Sun’s alleged planetary consumption.