Illustration of Tidal Disruption Event (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Illustration of Tidal Disruption Event

Caption

This illustration shows a tidal disruption, which occurs when a passing star gets too close to a black hole and is torn apart into a stream of gas. Some of the gas eventually settles into a structure around the black hole called an accretion disk.

Credit

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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