Black-hole physics
Spaghettification
The stretching of an object into a long, thin shape by the difference in a black hole's gravity between its near and far sides. Around a small stellar black hole the tidal force is lethal well outside the horizon; around a supermassive black hole it is gentle at the horizon, so an infalling object could cross without being torn apart.
Highlights
- ›Tidal forces stretch infalling matter thin
Classes, physics & objects
Knowledge connections
- Associated withBlack Hole
- Associated withStellar-Mass Black Hole
- Associated withTidal Disruption Event
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.