Final answer:
Spaghettification is the stretching and ultimate disintegration of objects due to the extreme gravitational forces near a black hole. This occurs more severely near smaller black holes and beyond the event horizon of larger ones. The term describes the extreme tidal forces that stretch an object into a long, thin shape, like spaghetti.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which a person or object is stretched by the incredible gravitational forces near a black hole is known as spaghettification. When an astronaut falls into a black hole, the intense gravity exerted by the singularity will pull more strongly on the parts of the body closer to it. This differential force stretches the body into a longer and thinner shape, much like spaghetti, hence the term spaghettification. This effect is more pronounced near smaller black holes because their gravity gradient is steeper, and it occurs inside the event horizon for larger black holes.
At a certain proximity to the black hole, the tidal forces would become so extreme that the astronaut would be stretched and ultimately torn apart. This gruesome fate is a consequence of the massive gravitational differences across a small space, which are known as tidal forces. The grim reality is that once you cross the event horizon, there is no escape, and spaghettification is one of the many extraordinary phenomena that occur in the extreme environment surrounding black holes.