Scientists were able to use a planet-hunting telescope owned by NASA to gain a view of a star being violently ripped apart by a black hole. It is the first time such an event has been viewed from the beginning to end.
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite was able to provide a detailed account of the star being pulled into an unrelenting black hole. The entire event took place 375 million light-years away from earth.
The star that was destroyed is nearly identical in size to our sun. The cosmic occurrence is known to astronomers as a tidal disruption event.
The event was first detected by astronomers using a network of international telescopes. They eventually turned to TESS, who was able to use the same viewing zones that enable the satellite to hunt for faraway planets to record the violence from the black hole.
Thomas Holoien is an astronomer with the Carnegie Institute for Science. Holoien was the lead author of the research chronicled in the Astrophysics Journal and says astronomers were both lucky and good to catch the event on the telescope.
Events like the one observed by TESS happen when a star finds itself too near a massive black hole. These black holes are present at the center of nearly all galaxies. The gravitational force of the black hole is so strong it is able to rip an entire star to shreds. Some of the material that makes up the star is thrown back into space. The remainder of the star goes into the black hole. A disk of bright, hot gas is created as the star material is devoured by the black hole.
Holoien excitedly explained he and colleagues were able to monitor the brightness that resulted from the event. He said the brightness and corresponding drop in temperature represented an extremely rare event to witness.
Scientists are hoping that observing the constant movement of light as the black hole devoured the star will provide more insight into the behavior of black holes.
