Supermassive black hole with torn-apart star (artist’s impression)
This artist’s impression depicts a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disc. This thin disc of rotating material consists of the leftovers of a Sun-like star which was ripped apart by the tidal forces of the black hole. Shocks in the colliding debris as well as heat generated in accretion led to a burst of light, resembling a supernova explosion.
Credit:ESA/Hubble, ESO, M. Kornmesser
About the Image
Id: | heic1622b |
Type: | Artwork |
Release date: | 12 December 2016, 17:00 |
Related releases: | heic1622 |
Size: | 4992 x 3535 px |
About the Object
Type: | Early Universe : Galaxy : Component : Central Black Hole |
Category: | Quasars and Black Holes |
Image Formats
Large JPEG
858.0 KB
Publication TIFF 4K
4.4 MB
Publication JPEG
629.4 KB
Screensize JPEG
86.8 KB