Astronomers have observed an unprecedented cosmic event – a black hole shredding a massive star, releasing energy equivalent to 400 billion suns. Dubbed “the Whippet” (officially AT2024wpp), this Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) is among the most powerful explosions ever detected, pushing the boundaries of our understanding of these violent interactions.
The Physics of Stellar Destruction
TDEs occur when a star ventures too close to a black hole’s intense gravity. The black hole’s tidal forces stretch and compress the star into long, thin strands of matter—often described as “stellar spaghetti.” This material spirals around the black hole, forming an accretion disk that feeds the black hole. But this process isn’t neat; some of the shredded star is ejected in powerful jets.
The Whippet stands out due to its sheer scale. This event is not just another TDE, it is one of the most energetic cosmic explosions ever observed. The Whippet’s energy output is so extreme that it surpasses even the collapse of a massive star into a supernova.
Discovery and Confirmation
The Whippet was first detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory. It immediately drew attention due to its similarity to other rare, bright events, such as AT 2018cow and Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs). LFBOTs are intensely bright flashes of light that fade rapidly, emitting high-energy radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Follow-up observations with the Liverpool Telescope and NASA’s Swift spacecraft confirmed the Whippet’s extreme blue color and X-ray emission – hallmarks of a star being ripped apart by a black hole. Distance measurements ruled out a conventional supernova, cementing the TDE interpretation.
Shockwaves and Ejected Matter
The destruction unleashed a shockwave propagating outward at roughly 20% the speed of light (134 million miles per hour). This wave slammed into surrounding gas, dissipating after roughly six months.
Perhaps even more intriguing, scientists detected helium moving away from the event at an astonishing 13 million miles per hour. This suggests that some part of the star’s core survived the initial spaghettification, or that a third body in the system was blasted by the black hole’s emissions. The exact origin of this material remains uncertain.
Why This Matters
Events like the Whippet are rare but critical. They not only confirm the existence of black holes but also provide insights into their growth, feeding habits, and the extreme physics at play in these cosmic collisions. Studying these events helps astronomers map black hole distribution and understand how these giants shape the universe around them. The findings were presented at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) conference and are forthcoming in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The Whippet serves as a stark reminder of the universe’s raw power and the violent, yet fundamental, processes that drive cosmic evolution.
