Horizon: Swallowed by a Black Hole

[MarkS]

Wednesday night's Horizon was very interesting.  There's something (gas cloud?) heading for the Black Hole at the centre of our galaxy and it's being sheared apart en route.  It will reach the black hole later this year and could provide a unique opportunity for astronomers to watch what happens as something is swallowed. For instance, could the frictional forces cause it to light up like a beacon?