As stars like the Sun exhaust their hydrogen, they begin to expand and cool, transforming into red giants. For the Sun, this dramatic change is expected in around five billion years. Scientists believe this expansion could destroy Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth, but so far, there is little direct evidence to confirm exactly how, or if this will occur.

Now, a study led by researchers at the University of Warwick and UCL has shed new light on the fate of planets orbiting ageing stars. By analysing nearly half a million nearby star systems, the team sought to understand how often planets survive when their host stars swell into red giants.