Black holes devour stars with messy toddler-like behavior, study finds.
New 3D computer simulations by Northwestern University-led astrophysicists suggest that intermediate-mass black holes, if they exist, devour wayward stars like messy toddlers, taking a few bites and then flinging the remains across the galaxy. The simulations also provide astronomers with new clues to help pinpoint these hidden giants within our night sky. Intermediate-mass black holes are about 10 to 10,000 times more massive than stellar remnant black holes but not nearly as massive as supermassive black holes.