Gamma-ray flash came from star being eaten by massive black hole
Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 15:30
in Astronomy & Space
A bright flash of gamma rays observed March 28 by the Swift satellite signaled the death of a star falling into a massive black hole, say a team of astronomers. According to their model, a star the mass of our sun got too close and was ripped apart; one-tenth of the mass was emitted as X-rays and gamma rays, much of it in a collimated jet aimed at Earth.