The 'mayday call' from a murdered star

Astronomers believe they've uncovered the source of a mysterious blast of radiation that reached Earth in late March

In this artist rendition a black hole rips apart a star that wandered too close, creating a beam of energy that crossed 3.8 billion light years to be noticed from Earth.
(Image credit: University of Warwick, Mark A. Garlick)

Scientists believe they've solved one of the year's most puzzling mysteries of space. A highly unusual burst of gamma-ray radiation they detected earlier this year was, in fact, likely a "mayday call" of sorts from a star being ripped apart by a massive black hole. Here, a guide to the findings:

What was so unusual about this radiation burst?

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