Stars Survive Repeated Close Encounters with Supermassive Black Holes, Producing Fading Flares

Astronomers have observed stars that repeatedly skim past supermassive black holes, surviving each close encounter while emitting a fresh burst of light. In some systems, the flares fade with every return. Researchers suggest that the stars were already spinning extremely fast before capture, and that this rapid rotation may explain both the diminishing flares and the stars’ presence in such tight orbits around the black holes.