NYU astrophysicists find evidence of black holes destroying stars

Arts and Science’s Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, teamed with John Hopkins University and Spain’s Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, has completed a study that clearly illustrates a phenomenon long-sought by astrophysicists.

The research, reported in the latest issue of the Astrophysical Journal, calculated that a star will occasionally pass by a massive black hole—far enough to escape being captured by the black hole, but close enough that the black hole’s extreme force tears the star apart. Although part of the star is absorbed into the black hole, most of it continues in a chaotic orbit, producing intense radiation that could last months.



To read about the study in more detail, click this link.