when galaxies crash black holes devour stars according to research released
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

When galaxies crash, black holes devour stars according to research released

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today When galaxies crash, black holes devour stars according to research released

Sun-like star close to a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole
Paris - AFP

Supermassive black holes rip up and devour hapless stars a hundred times more frequently than thought, according to research released on Monday.

Scientists had previously calculated that such cosmic cannibalism was extremely rare, happening once every 10,000 to 100,000 years per galaxy.

These so-called "tidal disruption events" had only been witnessed in astronomical surveys canvassing tens of thousands of galaxies.

But the authors of a new study said they spotted a star being destroyed by a black hole in a survey of only 15 galaxy collisions -- an extremely small sample size by astronomy standards.

The chances of a star disappearing into the maw of a black hole go up a hundredfold when galaxies crash, they concluded.

"Our surprising findings show that when two galaxies collide, it dramatically increases how often stars get ripped apart and swallowed," co-author James Mullaney, an astronomer at the University of Sheffield, told AFP. 

Supermassive black holes are millions to billions times more massive than our Sun.

Astronomers agree they reside at the centre of almost all known major galaxies. The Milky Way's own black hole -- currently dormant -- is tucked inside the constellation Sagittarius.

But exactly how these monsters form is still hotly debated among scientists.

For the new study, a team led by astronomer Clive Tadhunter, also from Sheffield, analysed 15 colliding galaxies, each containing billions of stars.

In 2015, they noticed a startling change in one of them -- galaxy F01004-2237, some 1.7 billion light years from Earth -- compared to a decade earlier. 

Sifting through historical data collected by the Catalina Sky Survey, the researchers traced the transformation to 2010. 

The brightness flared that year in a way consistent with the death throes of a star being ripped apart.

"Our study shows that galaxy collisions play an important role in causing stars to fall toward black holes," Mullaney said.

Once in the danger zone, the doomed star is sucked in by a black hole's gravitational pull. 

The stellar debris starts to travel faster and faster, heating up and emitting a flash of light as the star is obliterated.

When our own Milky Way merges with nearby Andromeda, in about 4.5 million years, such star-wrecking events will occur up to every ten years, the scientists said.

These light shows would be brighter than any stars or planets in the night sky.

"From Earth we'd see these events as a flare of light lasting a few months, or even years," said Mullaney.

Assuming, of course, there was anyone around to notice.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, were based on observations made with the William Herschel Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

when galaxies crash black holes devour stars according to research released when galaxies crash black holes devour stars according to research released

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

when galaxies crash black holes devour stars according to research released when galaxies crash black holes devour stars according to research released

 



GMT 19:31 2016 Wednesday ,05 October

Yemeni President receives British Ambassador to Yemen

GMT 14:00 2011 Sunday ,20 November

Raging bulls connect with past

GMT 07:55 2015 Friday ,11 December

Indian women in battle against Mumbai mosque ban

GMT 21:28 2017 Tuesday ,19 September

Arab Coalition destroys sites of insurgents in Najran

GMT 13:48 2017 Monday ,01 May

Omani woman kills man after blackmail attempt

GMT 20:55 2017 Sunday ,14 May

Egypt condemns suicide attack in Saudi Arabia

GMT 09:40 2017 Saturday ,18 February

Pollution reaches "unbearable" level to humanity

GMT 05:05 2017 Sunday ,24 September

Psychologists help Mexico deal

GMT 20:14 2017 Saturday ,12 August

Book gives voice to Vietnam's strangled anger

GMT 11:55 2017 Saturday ,11 March

Leads Sri Lanka to crushing win over Bangladesh

GMT 11:36 2017 Saturday ,03 June

April21st-May21st

GMT 03:48 2017 Saturday ,30 September

Turkey will update customs union agreement with EU

GMT 19:59 2017 Monday ,20 February

Sauber aim for return to midfield with new F1 car

GMT 09:18 2017 Wednesday ,26 April

Shutdown threat ebbs as Trump relents on wall funding

GMT 20:48 2017 Monday ,30 October

171 Ukrainian tourists arrive at Marsa Alam airport

GMT 20:57 2016 Wednesday ,30 November

September 22 - October 22
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday