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A tidal disruption event (TDE) is a star being pulled apart by the tidal forces of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). While part of the star is subsumed, for a time, the material is spread out in pieces, some of which are ejected. This type of event was theorized in 1975 but observations have been ascribed to this type of event only with more recent consideration of how to distinguish such an event from other AGN activity. Observations include X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet, the latter presumably from clouds heated by the event, e.g., jets produced. Events that show particularly high surges in the X-ray band have been termed X-ray TDEs (X-ray tidal disruption events). The term tidal disruption flare (TDF) is used for the same type of event but can be used specifically to refer to the emitted electromagnetic radiation of a TDE.
The informal term, spaghettification is used for a phenomenon that can happen near a black hole and would be likely to occur during a TDE: stretching objects by the tidal force. One portion of an object close to the black hole can be drawn toward the black hole with much more force than another portion, stretching the object to considerable length, presumably eventually pulling it apart.
A black hole flare is generally a TDE, but the term presumably also applies to any bright black hole transients, even if from some other mechanism.
The Open TDE Catalog (OTC) is a public list of suspected/claimed TDEs.