Stars that brush past black holes live longer, stranger lives after their close encounters with...

Black holes are often seen as cosmic monsters that swallow anything unlucky enough to stray too close. But new research suggests they do not always win — some stars can skim the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*; lose mass; and stagger away. Scarred but alive, these survivors shine brighter than before, leaving clues that astronomers are only now learning to read.