A supermassive black hole recently made headlines by consuming a massive star, creating a cosmic explosion that shone as brightly as 10 trillion suns. This remarkable event is believed to be the biggest and most distant of its kind ever recorded, detected from a staggering 10 billion light-years away.
Matthew Graham, an astronomy professor at Caltech and the study’s lead author, described it as “a one-in-a-million object.” He believes this intense outburst, known as a black hole flare, is the best explanation for what they observed. While black holes often consume stars and other matter, this particular flare is exceptionally rare. Graham noted, “This massive flare is vastly more energetic than anything we’ve encountered before.” At its peak, it was 30 times brighter than any black hole flare scientists have previously observed.
Interestingly, the star that got too close to the black hole was likely about 30 times the mass of our Sun. In contrast, the black hole itself is estimated to be 500 million times the mass of the Sun, alongside a swirling disk of material.
This extraordinary flare has been ongoing for over seven years and is still active. It was first spotted in 2018 during a sky survey using three telescopes. Initially labeled as a “particularly bright object,” it was mostly overlooked until Graham and his team revisited their findings in 2023. A sudden revelation struck when they recalculated the distance to this glowing object, intensifying its significance.
Graham speculates the star may have been shifted from its orbit, possibly due to interactions with other cosmic bodies. These discoveries shed light on how black holes grow and impact their surroundings. “Our understanding of supermassive black holes has evolved significantly in the past decade,” said Graham. Unlike the older view of black holes as stationary entities, we now know their environments are much more dynamic.
This flare continues to fade gradually, but astronomers expect to observe it for several more years. This event not only fascinates scientists but also prompts deeper questions about the universe’s mysteries. Understanding such cosmic phenomena is crucial as they reveal the intricate dance between galaxies and their central black holes.
For more details about black holes and new discoveries, check out NASA’s Space Science page.
