Star shredded by black hole

This artwork illustrates recent findings about a star torn apart by a black hole due to tidal forces. When a star gets too close to a black hole, it breaks apart, resulting in "tidal disruptions." This process generates an X-ray flare. ASASSN-14li, discovered by ASAS-SN in 2014, was studied using Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer, and XMM-Newton. It occurred near a supermassive black hole in the galaxy PGC 043234, 290 million light-years away. Scientists aim to find more such events to understand black hole influences.

During the event, material from the star forms elongated structures that move towards the black hole. These structures merge into a hot disk emitting X-rays. The disk's central region heats up, creating a material outflow called a "wind."