Armchair astronomers sought to hunt for stars being torn apart by black holes

Astronomers at Queen’s University Belfast and the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands are seeking help to shape how scientists detect massive black holes for the next decade

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 - 19:28

Jonathan McCambridge, Press Association

Volunteers are being sought for an online challenge to help find stars being torn apart by black holes.

Astronomers at Queen’s University Belfast and the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands are seeking help to shape how scientists detect massive black holes for the next decade.