Quote:
Originally Posted by m1omg
How can it be calculated?
|
I don't know that it's ever been done, which is part of the humor behind the statement.
Just guessing, but being that close to that bright of a star has got to be putting it into a decaying orbit. The stellar winds alone should create some drag. If so, astronomers should be able to monitor the orbital period and determine a splash date. The closest similar observation of such an event was Shoemaker-Levy as it burst into Jupiter's atmosphere.
The impact of this planet onto the star would a be colossal one and the star would likely flash very, very brightly. V838 Mon may have been one such star that flashed for this reason, at least that is one hypothesis.