Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 5, 2024 is “A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star,” an image. It is credited to Illustration Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech. The original explanation runs about 156 words.

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.
Credit: Illustration Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the 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.”

— APOD editors, May 5, 2024

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 5, 2024
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Illustration Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 156 words

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Topics in this entry

Black holes

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: May 5 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.