Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Sun May 05 2024 00:32:02

                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 5
   An illustration shows a small black dot in the center which is a black
   hole. A red stream or gas arcs in from the top. The black hole is also
     surrounded by a dark and dusty disk. Please see the explanation for
                         more detailed information.

                    A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star
                   Illustration Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech

   Explanation: What happens to a star that goes near a black hole? If the
   star directly impacts a massive black hole, then the star falls in
   completely -- and everything vanishes. More likely, though, the star
   goes close enough to have the black hole's gravity pull away its outer
   layers, or disrupt, the star. Then, most of the star's gas does not
   fall into the black hole. These stellar tidal disruption events can be
   as bright as a supernova, and an increasing amount of them are being
   discovered by automated sky surveys. In the featured artist's
   illustration, a star has just passed a massive black hole and sheds gas
   that continues to orbit. The inner edge of a disk of gas and dust
   surrounding the black hole is heated by the disruption event and may
   glow long after the star is gone.

               Hole New Worlds: It's Black Hole Week at NASA!
                   Tomorrow's picture: ringing out the sun
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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