Credit: NASA, S. Gezari (The Johns Hopkins University), and J. Guillochon (University of California, Santa Cruz)

This computer-simulated image shows gas from a star that is ripped apart by tidal forces as it falls into a black hole. Some of the gas also is being ejected at high speeds into space. Observations from multiple telescopes, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, were used to determine the most direct evidence yet of a star being ripped apart by a supermassive black hole. Chandra's X-ray data were critical is ruling out the other contending possibility that this galaxy instead contained a so-called active galactic nucleus.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/ps1/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html