Experts claim 90% probability of witnessing black hole blast in 10 years

We could all witness a black hole explosion within ten years (Image: Canva)

Astronomers say the universe might soon put on an extraordinary show. For the first time, humans could witness a black hole explode within the next decade.

What are black holes and how do they form?
Stellar black holes form when massive stars collapse after death. They usually weigh between three and fifty times the Sun. When a star burns out, it ends in a supernova, leaving behind a dense region where even light cannot escape.

Primordial black holes are different and remain only a theory. They may have formed just seconds after the Big Bang, from compact regions of dense matter.

Why are scientists expecting explosions now?
Physicists have always thought that black holes ultimately disappear. Black holes slowly disintegrate by producing particles, according to Stephen Hawking's theory, a phenomenon known as Hawking radiation. These cause life-ending explosions. Until recently, scientists thought such events happened only once every 100,000 years.

A new study in Physical Review Letters suggests the wait might be far shorter. Researchers argue there is up to a 90% chance of seeing one explode in the next ten years. Current telescopes on Earth and in space are already able to detect the signals.

What role do electricity and dark matter play?
The research team challenged assumptions about black hole behaviour. Normal black holes are thought to have no electric charge. However, scientists tested the idea that primordial black holes have a weak dark electric charge and thus might form.

They introduced the idea of “dark electrons”, heavier versions of ordinary electrons. These interact not through normal electromagnetic forces but through a hidden dark force. Theoretical models suggest that such particles could stabilise primordial black holes for longer before they finally explode. This increases the chance of seeing an event from once every 100,000 years to once a decade.

What could exploding black holes reveal to us?
An explosion would not only be visually spectacular. It could act as a catalogue of every subatomic particle. Known particles like electrons, quarks, and Higgs bosons may appear, along with unseen ones, perhaps even dark matter.

While no one can guarantee an explosion will occur this decade, the probability has scientists on alert. Telescopes are ready to detect Hawking radiation’s unique signals. If confirmed, it could help answer one of humanity’s biggest questions: where did everything come from?