Get the latest tech news

New Type of Supernova Detected as Black Hole Causes Star To Explode


An anonymous reader shares a report: Astronomers have observed the calamitous result of a star that picked the wrong dance partner. They have documented what appears to be a new type of supernova, as stellar explosions are known, that occurred when a massive star tried to swallow a black hole with w...

An anonymous reader shares a report: Astronomers have observed the calamitous result of a star that picked the wrong dance partner. They have documented what appears to be a new type of supernova, as stellar explosions are known, that occurred when a massive star tried to swallow a black hole with which it had engaged in a lengthy pas de deux. But as the distance separating them gradually narrowed, the black hole's immense gravitational pull appears to have distorted the star -- stretching it out from its spherical shape -- and siphoned off material before causing it to explode.

Get the Android app

Or read this on Slashdot

Read more on:

Photo of star

star

Photo of Supernova

Supernova

Photo of black hole

black hole

Related news:

News photo

The Omen Max 45L is the star of HP's latest PC gaming update

News photo

Astrophysicist Proposes Paperclip-Sized Spacecraft Could Travel at Lightspeed to a Black Hole

News photo

Star leaky app of the week: StarDict