Final answer:
Tidal disruption events occur when a star is torn apart by a supermassive black hole's tidal forces, leading to the creation of an accretion disk and the emission of X-rays. These rare events help scientists study black holes' gravitational effects.
Step-by-step explanation:
A tidal disruption event (TDE) involves a star getting close enough to a supermassive black hole that it is ripped apart by the black hole's tidal forces. These events, sometimes referred to as "cannibal" events, are rather rare, happening once every 100,000 years in a typical galaxy. Despite their rarity, we can detect TDEs because we observe millions of galaxies.
Tidal forces are not limited to Earth and can be found in many astronomical systems, particularly near black holes, where these forces are incredibly intense. When a star approaches a black hole closely enough, the gravitational force differential can exceed the star's cohesive force, pulling it apart. The resulting material may form an accretion disk around the black hole, emitting X-rays and other radiation that astronomers can observe from Earth.
These TDEs offer scientists a unique opportunity to study the powerful gravitational effects of black holes and their influence on their surrounding space, although they do not contribute significantly to the mass accumulation of these black holes.