When a star wanders too close to a black hole, it faces a dramatic end that serves as a stark demonstration of the fascinating and destructive forces found across the universe.
Black holes are regions in space whose gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape. Their immense gravity can pull in a star and tear it apart, sending its pieces spiralling around the black hole in a spectacular display of light and energy.
This rare event, known as a tidal disruption, not only reveals the hidden presence of a black hole but also helps scientists understand how these cosmic giants affect the evolution of galaxies and the universe as a whole.
What happens when a black hole destroys a star?
As the star’s pieces get pulled towards the black hole, they start to form a bright, glowing ring around it, called an accretion disc.
Ariel Chitan, a PhD candidate in physics and astronomy at Western University in Ontario, Canada, told The National that “the disc around the black hole gets so hot that it shines brightly and releases X-ray radiation”.
“Astronomers can observe tidal disruption event to get key information about the black hole’s light,” she said.
“These detections can tell us how massive the black hole is or, even, how fast the black hole is spinning.”
From Earth, scientists can detect these X-rays, which act like a beacon, helping them identify where black holes are lurking. Since black holes are invisible, observing this glowing disc is one of the few ways scientists can locate them.
How black holes grow over time
Watching a black hole pull in the remains of a star gives scientists clues about how black holes grow over time.
This is especially important for the supermassive black holes – ones that are more than 100,000 times the mass of the Sun – found at the centre of most galaxies, including our Milky Way.
“A current open question is how do black holes, supermassive ones in particular, become so massive?” said Ms Chitan.
“One possible answer is that they accumulate this mass after devouring stars, for example via accretion.
“However, the time it takes for a black hole to become supermassive in this way, might be longer than even the lifetime of the universe.”
“Observing more and more tidal disruption events can help us to understand if this is a feasible growth mechanism for black holes or not,” said Ms Chitan.
How black holes affect galaxies
Black holes do not only destroy stars, they can also change the structure of entire galaxies. In some cases, the energy released from a tidal disruption event can cause the black hole to produce powerful jets of energy that move through space.
“These jets, moving near the speed of light, punch through the galaxy and alter its structure,” said Ms Chitan.
“Images of such galaxies often show a massive jet extending far out from the galaxy.”
Examples of such jets can be seen in galaxies like M87, where the central black hole ejects a jet that stretches thousands of light-years, heating and displacing surrounding gas.
In Centaurus A, jets extend beyond the galaxy, pushing out gas and suppressing star formation in some regions.
“These jets can drive gas out of the galaxy and heat what remains. Since cold gas is crucial for star formation, this process, known as quenching, prevents new stars from forming,” said Ms Chitan.
“When a galaxy can no longer form stars, it is called a quiescent or ‘dead’ galaxy.”
What tidal disruptions teach us about black holes
With newer, more advanced telescopes, astronomers are now better able to observe these star-destroying events, helping them to learn more about black holes than ever before.
Recent technology, like Nasa’s Nicer (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer), which is installed on the International Space Station, has allowed scientists to closely study these events.
Nicer’s X-ray data, combined with images from telescopes like the Very Large Telescope, located in Chile, and Nasa's Chandra observatory, has provided details about black holes’ temperature, rotation and growth, helping scientists piece together how black holes grow and impact the galaxies around them.
Scientists used the Nicer space telescope in 2018 and 2019 to study the J1820 black hole, located in the Milky Way, about 10,000 light-years from Earth.
Philip Uttley, an astrophysicist at the University of Amsterdam, said when the findings of the study were published in 2019: “Nicer's observations of J1820 have taught us something new about stellar-mass black holes and about how we might use them as analogues for studying supermassive black holes and their effects on galaxy formation.
“We’ve seen four similar events in Nicer’s first year, and it’s remarkable. It feels like we’re on the edge of a huge breakthrough in X-ray astronomy.”
Last year, the Nicer space telescope experienced technical issues, and its observations have been significantly reduced. In August, Nasa sent a repair kit to the space station that astronauts can use during a future spacewalk.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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