Xiao Fan

A giant black hole tore apart a star, leaving behind a lopsided disk of scorching gas — like a vinyl record warped by the heat. Now a tiny black hole (or a star) zips around and repeatedly pierces that disk. Each puncture is a bright X-ray flare.

A massive star ends its life in a spectacular collapse: the core compresses into a neutron star or a black hole, while the outer layers fly off in a dazzling supernova.