Small stars (called red dwarfs) consume their fuel very slowly and last tens to hundreds of billions of years.

"Finally, inward and outward forces on the planet's orbit canceled each other out just before the star would have consumed the planet."

This star was much larger than the original one and had consumed its hydrogen - and helium - lavishly.

After a few years the star consumes all its neon and the core ceases producing fusion energy and contracts.

Scientists had been aware that stars could consume planets; however, this was the first time such an event had been observed so clearly.

If so, these huge stars would have quickly consumed their supply of fuel and became supernovae, releasing heavy elements into the interstellar medium.

Yet the devoured stars were beings as unlike to us as gods, and no Worm or doom could consume their power without cost.

In about six months to one year the star consumes its oxygen, accumulating a new core rich in silicon.

After a star has consumed the helium at the core, fusion continues in a shell around a hot core of carbon and oxygen.

Massive stars consume their fuel very rapidly and are short-lived.