Astronomers Detect X-ray Signal from Star Torn Apart by Two Black Holes
An international team of astronomers has reported a significant discovery involving two black holes and a star, which was caught in a gravitational tug-of-war. This event, observed as a faint X-ray signal, is believed to have occurred approximately 3 billion years ago. The star, named XID 925, was initially detected in 1999 during the Chandra X-ray Observatory's Deep Field South survey. Over the years, astronomers have monitored this X-ray source, noting its dramatic fluctuations in brightness. The recent study suggests that the star was first torn apart by a supermassive black hole, forming an accretion disk. Subsequently, a second black hole interacted with this disk, causing a surge in X-ray emissions. This phenomenon, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), provides insights into the interactions between stars and black holes. 
