Scientists from the University of Hawaii Astronomy Institute have identified a nearby example of a star being consumed by a supermassive black hole, offering a rare glimpse into this dramatic cosmic process. Located in the Leo constellation, the event lies about 160 million light-years from Earth. The study appears in the official scientific record of the institution and its collaborators.
Experts note that while star-destroying black holes have been observed before, this discovery marks the closest instance captured with visible light. This closer view could significantly improve understanding of how supermassive black holes grow and accumulate matter in their surroundings, according to one of the study’s authors, Willem Hoogendam.
This dramatic sequence is known as a tidal disruption event, or TDE. It happens when a star ventures perilously near a supermassive black hole whose mass ranges from millions to billions of solar masses. The immense gravity exerts tidal forces that distort the star, compressing it along one axis while stretching it along another.
Those tidal forces carve the star into a long, stretched stream that behaves like cosmic spaghetti as it spirals toward the black hole. The resulting configuration, often described as a noodle of stellar material, surrounds the black hole and ultimately feeds its appetite. When the star matter finally falls in, it emits powerful, bright flashes that can outshine entire galaxies for a time.
As the stellar debris settles, researchers observe how the black hole interacts with the shredded star, revealing key details about how such black holes capture material and regulate their growth. This visible-light observation provides new data points that help refine theoretical models of TDEs and the environments around supermassive black holes.
Historically, the field has sought clearer pictures of the swallow events—the moment when a star is torn apart and accreted. This closest, multi-wavelength view adds depth to that pursuit and reinforces the idea that TDEs are not only spectacular but also fundamental to understanding black hole feeding mechanisms. of Hawaii Astronomy Institute