Astronomers witness most powerful black hole flare ever recorded

Astronomers Witness Most Powerful Black Hole Flare Ever Recorded (Image: Caltech/R. Hurt)

A distant supermassive black hole has unleashed a record-breaking flare. Its energy output dwarfs anything previously observed in our universe. Astronomers describe it as the most luminous flare ever recorded.

The Monster Flare

The flare originated from galaxy J2245+3743, ten billion light-years distant. It briefly outshone the combined light of its entire host galaxy. At peak, the event radiated energy ten trillion times our Sun. Its sheer intensity sets a new benchmark for black hole phenomena.

The Cosmic Culprit

The flare was triggered by a star roughly thirty times massive. The black hole tore it apart in a tidal-disruption event (TDE). Its material spiralled into the black hole, releasing tremendous energy. TDEs allow scientists to witness extreme gravitational physics in action. This event provides rare insights into stellar destruction near black holes.

Detection and Observation

Data came primarily from the Zwicky Transient Facility in California. Additional observations from multiple telescopes helped characterise the powerful flare. Active galactic nucleus conditions made detection challenging but successful.

The analysis of the light curve confirmed its unprecedented energy and duration. This discovery was published in Nature Astronomy, highlighting global collaboration.

Scientific Significance

This flare offers new understanding of black hole feeding behaviour. It confirms that massive black holes can generate extreme bursts intermittently. The event challenges previous models of stellar disruption by supermassive black holes.

Researchers hope to locate similar flares to study cosmic energy extremes. Observing these phenomena helps explain galaxy evolution and high-energy astrophysics