Black hole X-ray flares, illustration. The glowing material and radiation around this massive black hole are the result of a star approaching too close. The star has been torn apart by tidal forces, and the stellar material has formed into a smooth, hot disk (centre) glowing brightly in X-rays. As the disk forms, its central region heats up tremendously, which drives a flow of material, called a wind (blue areas), away from the disk. Relativistic jets moving at high speeds are also produced. This X-ray flaring can last for a few years after a star is destroyed by a black hole. This illustration is based on the observations of tidal disruption event ASASSN-14li in 2014. The event occurred in galaxy PGC 043234, around 290 million light years from Earth, in the constellation of Coma Berenices. This image was published in 2015. |