A recent study conducted by the University of Hawaii and supported by NASA and the European Space Agency has revealed the discovery of three supermassive black holes located approximately 80 billion light-years from Earth, each consuming stars ten times larger than our sun. These black holes have been observed in the process of leaving massive explosions, marking the most significant events since the Big Bang. Dr. Anna Payne, co-author of the study, highlights that this research enhances our understanding of the universe’s most energetic environments.
Supermassive black holes, which are the largest type of black holes found at the centers of galaxies, have an immense gravitational pull capable of engulfing stars and even light. When a star is caught in the gravitational grip of a supermassive black hole, it can disintegrate dramatically, leading to what the researchers term “extreme nuclear transients.” The lead author of the study, graduate student Jason Hinkle, notes that these explosive events unveil otherwise dormant black holes and serve as a unique opportunity to observe them.
Two of the identified black holes were detected in 2016 and 2018, documented in the current study for the first time. The third, informally named “Barbie,” was discovered in 2020. The explosions generated by these black holes were so powerful that they rival the Big Bang itself, and their brightness provides a novel method for astronomers to locate additional black holes in the distant universe. As light from these events reached Earth, it offered insights into how to identify similar phenomena in future research, acting as a blueprint for further astronomical exploration.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
