Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


APOD: 2024 May 5 Á A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star
<< Yesterday 5.05.2024 Tomorrow >>
APOD: 2024 May 5 Á A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star
Credit & Copyright: NASA, JPL-Caltech
Explanation: What happens to a star that goes near a black hole? If the star directly impacts a massive black hole, then the star falls in completely -- and everything vanishes. More likely, though, the star goes close enough to have the black hole's gravity pull away its outer layers, or disrupt, the star. Then, most of the star's gas does not fall into the black hole. These stellar tidal disruption events can be as bright as a supernova, and an increasing amount of them are being discovered by automated sky surveys. In the featured artist's illustration, a star has just passed a massive black hole and sheds gas that continues to orbit. The inner edge of a disk of gas and dust surrounding the black hole is heated by the disruption event and may glow long after the star is gone.

Hole New Worlds: It's Black Hole Week at NASA!

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < May 2024  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su


12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: black hole
Publications with words: black hole
See also:
All publications on this topic >>