Half of the star will be "swallowed" by the black hole, and half thrown outward. When material falls onto a black hole, it does so in a circular fashion, much like water going down the bathtub drain.

A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). This black hole, called V404 Cygni, has been extensively studied since being confirmed in 1992.