According to Tyson's essay, how does a gas cloud behave as it approaches a black hole?

As a gas cloud approaches a black hole, it behaves in a way that reflects the complex gravitational dynamics involved. The correct choice highlights that the gas cloud experiences differential rotation due to the intense gravitational field of the black hole. This means that different parts of the gas cloud move at varying speeds, often leading to the formation of an accretion disk around the black hole. The influence of the black hole's gravity causes certain regions of the gas cloud to spiral inwards while others may be moving outward, creating a rotational effect that is not uniform.

This phenomenon is critical to understanding how matter behaves in extreme gravitational conditions, as it leads to the heating of the gas and the potential for high-energy emissions, such as X-rays, from the vicinity of the black hole. The other options do not accurately describe the behavior of the gas cloud in this context; hence they do not capture the complex dynamics resulting from the black hole's gravitational influence.