Dormant black hole eats star, becomes X-ray flashlight
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - 12:01
in Astronomy & Space
Roughly 90 percent of the biggest black holes in the known universe are dormant, meaning that they are not actively devouring matter and, consequently, not giving off any light or other radiation. But sometimes a star wanders too close to a dormant black hole and the ensuing feeding frenzy, known as a tidal disruption event, sets off spectacular fireworks.