Scientists have discovered a supermassive black hole flare, the largest seen in the universe, and it may be making a meal of an enormous star.
Nov. 4 Scientists have discovered a supermassive black hole flare, the largest seen in the universe, and it may be making a meal of an enormous star.
The flare is 30 times more powerful than the previous most powerful active galactic nuclei transient, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
« Very few physical events in the Universe can liberate this much electromagnetic energy », researchers wrote in the study.
While most stars eventually explode into supernovae before becoming black holes, it’s believed that this massive star didn’t make it that far.
The star scooted too close to an enormous black hole, which ate it up, tearing it to pieces, according to the researchers.
The object was first seen in 2018 by the Zwicky Transient Facility at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, as well as the Caltech-led Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey.
