Largest Star Known Ripped Apart by Black Hole, Revealing Clues
Scientist made a groundbreaking discovery on August 22, observing the largest star known being torn apart by a powerful black hole. This sheds light on cosmic processes as the black hole ejected remnants of the star into space for researchers to study, using advanced instruments like NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton.
On August 22, scientists made a big discovery: they might have seen the largest star known get torn apart by a black hole, giving them insights as they study the remains that were thrown into space. (PHOTO: Science News)
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Breakthrough: Scientists Possibly Witness Largest Star Known Ripped Apart by Black Hole, Unveiling Rare Study Opportunity
In a breakthrough on August 22, scientists reported a stunning discovery: they might have witnessed the largest star known being torn apart by a powerful black hole. According to Space, the suspected culprit, an immense black hole, seems to have thrown the innards of the destroyed star out into space, providing researchers with a rare opportunity to study its remains.
Headed by Jon Miller from the University of Michigan, the research team utilized advanced tools like NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton to investigate the largest star known ripped event, labeled ASASSN-14li. Unlike the mysterious “Scary Barbie” event earlier this year, the ASASSN-14li occurrence presents clear evidence of its size. This event was initially spotted in 2014 and is positioned about 280 million light-years away from Earth.
New Insights into Cosmic Events: Largest Star Known Remnants Challenge Previous Assumptions, Unveiling Unprecedented Understanding
By examining the remnants of the largest star known, scientists deduced that it once held a mass three times that of our sun. This finding puts ASASSN-14li in close competition with the extraordinary “Scary Barbie” event, where a star about 14 times more massive than our sun was believed to have met a similar fate. The new data challenges previous assumptions that underestimated the mass of ASASSN-14li’s star at only 0.6 solar masses, reshaping our understanding of these cosmic incidents.
These occurrences fall under the category of tidal disruption events (TDEs), which happen when a black hole’s gravitational forces rip apart the largest star known. As this happens, the event emits bursts of various wavelengths like optical, ultraviolet, and X-rays. By closely examining these emissions, scientists have pinpointed higher levels of nitrogen compared to carbon, suggesting the original star was much bigger than our sun.
The significance of this discovery lies in unraveling the mysteries of the universe’s most powerful phenomena. The diligent work by Miller’s team not only clarifies the demise of ASASSN-14li but also advances our comprehension of how these colossal cosmic events play out. This underscores the importance of using cutting-edge astronomical tools to decode the universe’s hidden secrets.
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