Astronomers have observed a rare tidal disruption event (TDE), AT 2022wtn, where a star was torn apart by a supermassive black hole.
The event occurred approximately 700 million light-years away in merging galaxies, specifically SDSSJ232323.79+104107.7, where a low-mass star was consumed by a black hole with a mass about 1 million times that of the Sun.
AT 2022wtn exhibited a unique light curve with a 30-day plateau at maximum brightness, a sharp temperature drop, and specific emission lines of helium and nitrogen, indicating rapid disk formation and matter expulsion around the black hole.
The event resulted in powerful outflows, radiant radio emission, extreme velocity changes in light-emitting elements, and an expanding spherical bubble of expelled gas, confirming the star's complete destruction.
This discovery provides insights into the complex interactions between black holes and galaxies, especially during galaxy mergers, and sheds light on the physical conditions of TDE regions.