Black Hole Swallows Star
Research led by astronomers at the University of Warwick has confirmed that the flash from one of the biggest and brightest bangs yet recorded by astronomers comes from a massive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy. The black hole appears to have ripped apart a star that wandered too close, creating a powerful beam of energy that crossed the 3.8 billion light years to Earth.
Dr Andrew Levan reports that a beam originating from the Draco constellation occurred because “a massive black [hole] at the very center of that galaxy has pulled in a large star and ripped it apart by tidal disruption.”
Originating 3.8 billion light years from our World in the direction of the constellation of Draco, the beam consisting of high energy X-rays and gamma-rays remained brilliant for a period of weeks after the initial event.