Scientists have discovered a stunning and puzzling phenomenon: a black hole in a galaxy about 650 million light-years away has destroyed a star, defying conventional wisdom. The black hole not only swallowed the star far from the center of the galaxy, where such giant bodies are usually found, but also released two powerful bursts of energy months later, at a time that was entirely unexpected for scientists.
When a star enters the gravitational field of a massive black hole, it begins to stretch and break apart, becoming a victim of the black hole's intense gravity. Such phenomena, known as "disintegration waves," are relatively common in the universe. When a star breaks apart, a considerable amount of energy is released, and its remnants form a disk of dust and gas around the hole.
Scientists assume that the radio waves were created when material ejected from the black hole collided with the surrounding gas, generating powerful shock waves. But it remains a mystery why these streams were released so late. Now this "wandering giant" seems to be wreaking havoc in its new environment, destroying unprotected stars in its path.
