Astronomers have witnessed a black hole violently shredding a massive star, creating one of the most energetic stellar explosions ever observed. The event, nicknamed «the Whippet» (officially AT2024wpp), briefly released about 400 billion times the Sun’s energy and sent a shock wave outward at one-fifth the speed of light. Researchers believe the star ventured too close to the black hole, and its immense gravity stretched and shredded it. As the debris spiraled inward, it emitted intense X-rays and drove a powerful wind into surrounding gas. Months later, scientists spotted unexpectedly fast-moving helium, suggesting that some structure may have survived the initial destruction. This event belongs to a rare class called Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs).
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