Black Hole Cluster 'Star Grinder' Disrupts Milky Way Core

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A cloud of black holes called the "Star Grinder" surrounds our galaxy's supermassive black hole, tearing apart stars at an alarming rate.

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New research in Astronomy & Astrophysics reveals up to 100 million black holes per cubic parsec at the Milky Way's center - far more than the 300-400 previously estimated.

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Stars in this extreme environment move at high speeds in random directions, increasing their chances of fatal encounters with black holes.

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When a star gets too close to a black hole, the uneven gravitational pull stretches it apart in a process called "spaghettification" before it's completely consumed.

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This creates a deadly cycle: dense gas forms massive stars, which quickly die as supernovae, creating new black holes that destroy more stars.

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The model explains why there are fewer large O-type stars at the galactic center compared to elsewhere in the galaxy - they're being destroyed by black holes.

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Hypervelocity stars moving fast enough to escape our galaxy entirely could be the result of close encounters with black holes in this chaotic region.

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Future telescopes like JWST and gravitational wave detectors will help scientists better understand how these black hole interactions shape galaxy evolution.

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[{"selector":"#anim-093518df-ad3d-45e6-a03c-d207b8d7db4f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39f3b06a-edd8-42bc-89c2-7a3572e01238","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f4fc81e-3002-4c78-b5aa-1509b1669cab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7aad67c2-c15d-4a0f-9e00-756e3b2c1b10","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Asteroid 2024 YR4 May Hit Earth in 2032 Learn more