What if a planet could be eaten alive from the inside out—and the culprit was something you can't even see? That’s not the plot of the next big sci-fi movie, but the jaw-dropping scenario scientists are now seriously considering. In a bombshell study published in Physical Review D and covered by WION, researchers say certain types of dark matter—yes, the mysterious stuff that makes up most of our universe—could actually form black holes inside giant planets, causing them to devour themselves from within.

Here’s where things get wild. Dark matter isn’t just invisible; it’s the universe’s most elusive ghost, making up about 85% of all matter. It’s never been directly detected, but astronomers are convinced it’s out there, shaping galaxies with its gravity. Now, scientists Phoroutan-Mehr and Tara Fetherolf from UC Riverside are shaking things up with a new model: under the right conditions, dark matter can clump deep inside massive gas planets. If these dark matter particles are heavy enough and don’t self-destruct on contact, they collapse under their own gravity—creating a tiny black hole at the planet’s core.

What happens next? That baby black hole starts munching away, devouring the planet from the inside. Over time, the planet could disappear entirely, leaving behind a black hole about the same size as the world it just consumed. Imagine Jupiter quietly imploding, leaving a black hole in its place—yep, that’s the kind of cosmic horror show researchers are talking about. Even crazier, multiple black holes could pop up in a single planet’s lifetime, especially in the crowded galactic center of the Milky Way, where dark matter is thought to be densest.

But don’t panic just yet—Earth is (probably) safe. Scientists emphasize this nightmare only comes true if the dark matter particles are massively hefty and don’t annihilate each other, a specific trait not yet proven to exist. But if we ever spot a planet-mass black hole where a world used to be, it could be the ultimate smoking gun for this wild dark matter theory. For now, this AI generated newscast about dark matter eating planets is as close as we’ll get to Doomsday—but it’s also a mind-blowing window into the secrets of our universe.

So next time you look up at the stars, just remember: the universe is full of mysteries, and sometimes, the scariest threats are the ones we can’t even see. Stay tuned for more AI generated newscasts about the weirdest things our cosmos can cook up!