Watch a Star Get Destroyed by a Supermassive Black Hole in the First Simulation of its Kind
Scientists say simulations like this are our only way to study this phenomenon
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a supermassive black hole devouring a star using computer simulations. The simulation shows the black hole stretching and warping the star into a long, thin stream of matter.
A black hole's strong gravity can stretch a star
The simulation, published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, shows how a supermassive black hole's strong gravitational pull can stretch a star into a long, thin stream of matter. This process is known as spaghettification.
As the star is stretched, it heats up and emits powerful X-rays. These X-rays can be detected by telescopes, allowing astronomers to study the process of spaghettification in real time.
- The simulation shows that the star is stretched into a long, thin stream of matter.
- The stream of matter is then pulled into the black hole's event horizon.
- The star is then destroyed by the black hole's gravity.
This simulation is the first of its kind, and it provides astronomers with a new way to study the process of spaghettification.
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