spaghettification

[ spuh-get-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

, Physics, Astronomy.

1. the theoretical stretching of an object as it encounters extreme differences in gravitational forces, especially those associated with a black hole.

Other Words From

• spa·ghet·ti·fy verb (used with object) spaghettified spaghettifying

Word History and Origins

Origin of spaghettification¹

spaghetti + -fication

Example Sentences

As the person approaches the event horizon of a a Sun-size black hole, the vast difference in gravitational pull between the inidvidual's head and toes causes the person to stretch into a very long noodle, hence the term 'spaghettification'.

From Salon

The person would experience spaghettification, and most likely not survive being stretched into a long, thin noodlelike shape.

From Salon

Astronomers call it “spaghettification,” and it’s not a pretty idea: It’s what happens when you venture too close to a black hole and fall in.

From New York Times

The process, known as "spaghettification," saw the black hole create a blast of light seen 215 million light-years from Earth, the "closest such flare recorded to date," the researchers said in a statement.

From Fox News

“If you have a small enough object, it’s easier to resist spaghettification,” says Andrew Vanderburg of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who was also not involved in the paper.

From Scientific American