Sleeping Black Hole Wakes To Devour Passing Star

sky.com ^

[BenLurkin]

It happened about 3.9 billion light years from Earth in the direction of the Draco constellation, and was spotted using high-energy X-ray data from NASA's public archives.

The black hole, with a mass a few million times larger than the sun, gorged on the star at a rate 100 times greater than a theoretical maximum known as the Eddington limit.

The majority of supermassive black holes are dormant, meaning they are not actively consuming matter.

But occasionally a star drifts too close to a dormant black hole and a 'tidal disruption event' begins.

Authors of the new research say their findings could solve the mystery of how the largest black holes in the universe came to grow to such huge sizes.

The study's lead author Erin Kara, from the University of Maryland, said: "Most tidal disruption events don't emit much in the high-energy X-ray band.

"But there have been at least three known events that have, and this is the first and only such event that has been caught at its peak."

[IncPen]

Sleeping Black Hole Wakes To Devour Passing Star

Obviously caused by Climate Change®

[InterceptPoint]

"It happened about 3.9 billion light years from Earth ..."

And "a long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away".

'Tis a strange universe that we inhabit.

[jmacusa]

“Draco’’, the Dragon. Makes sense. I wouldn't want to wake up a black hole. Might p!ss it off.

[katana]

Since what’s described happened 3.9 billion years ago our time (took the light that long to reach us) it’s not certain there were bacteria around, much less nasty SUV’s and backyard grills.

[jmacusa]

Bush’s fault!

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[DannyTN]

"and a 'tidal disruption event' begins"

Galactic democrats

[null and void]

Funny, he’s never pissed off when Reggie Love wakes him up...

...maybe quite the opposite?

[BitWielder1]

...gorged on the star at a rate 100 times greater than a theoretical maximum known as the Eddington limit.

That pesky reality vs. theory thing...

[Larry Lucido]

Man, talk about heartburn!

[Ciexyz]

There’s a metaphor here....

[AFreeBird]

How did they know it was sleeping? Did it have a “Do not disturb “ sign out?

[Trumpet 1]

Like an alligator snapping on a duck.

[FXRP]

The headline and the artist’s impression try to give the impression that black holes are magic. They are just a collection of matter so dense that photons can’t escape from the gravity.

There’s no magic wormhole leading to another place. Just a big black object that collects other objects and grows.

[ThunderSleeps]

Can’t be! The computer models all say this is how it works... ;-)

[deadrock]

All who dare
To cross her course
Are swallowed by
A fearsome force

[Ancesthntr]

Like some hapless bug that unknowingly steps on a strand if a spider’s web...on a slightly larger scale.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

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[victim soul]

And his name is satan.