"Unveiling the Enigma: ASASSN-14li's Devastating Encounter with a Monstrous Black Hole"

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton have discovered that a giant black hole destroyed a large star, resulting in a tidal disruption event (TDE) called ASASSN-14li. By analyzing the X-ray data, researchers determined that the star was three times the mass of the Sun, making it one of the largest stars ever known to be devastated in a TDE. The study provides valuable insights into the elements contained in the stellar debris field and has implications for identifying star clusters around supermassive black holes in distant galaxies.