When a star gets too close to a supermassive black hole, powerful gravitational forces tear it apart, elongating it into a slender filament. This phenomenon is referred to as “spaghettification,” a term made famous by Stephen Hawking in his book, A Brief History of Time, in which he explained the fate of an object approaching a black hole’s “event horizon” in space.

Astronomers previously thought this meant certain doom for a star. Nevertheless, a group led by Tel Aviv University has recorded a star that survived such an event, returning 700 days later. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, indicate that spaghettification could be a recurring process for certain stars. Iair Arcavi, who oversaw the study, noted that a star’s outer layers are more susceptible to spaghettification, while its denser core might endure if it maintains an appropriate distance from the black hole.

Black holes are mysterious cosmic entities where gravity is so powerful that nothing can escape. Once regarded as theoretical constructs, they are now recognized as scientific realities and have even been imaged using coordinated radio telescopes. In 2022, humanity captured its first clear image of Sagittarius A*, the black hole located at the heart of our galaxy.

Last year, researchers from Tel Aviv University detected a tidal disruption event (TDE) near the center of a galaxy, situated 400 million light-years away, utilizing the Las Cumbres Observatory. These TDEs produce bright flares as a black hole engulfs a star. Unexpectedly, the flare corresponded to another observed two years earlier, hinting that the same star was partially torn apart on two separate occasions.

Generally, a star approaching a black hole is elongated, with its near side drawn in and the far side pushed outward, forming a spiral of gas and debris around the black hole. These energy surges can illuminate the black hole momentarily. Over the last ten years, astronomers have recorded numerous flares, although they frequently appear weaker than anticipated. This inconsistency was thought to stem from knowledge gaps or model restrictions.

However, the recurring flare of AT 2022dbl suggests a more straightforward explanation: the star wasn’t entirely obliterated during its first encounter and returned for another episode. The research implies that numerous flares, previously interpreted as indicators of stellar demise, might not signal fatality. The lingering question is whether this star is finally extinguished or will come back for more.

Arcavi pointed out that astronomers need to rethink these flares and their significance for comprehending black holes.