For the first time, scientists observe 'sudden awakening' of a supermassive black hole

It is being described as an unprecedented event, as for the first time, scientists have observed in real-time the sudden awakening of a supermassive black hole. According to scientists, in December 2019, SDSS 1335+0728¡ªa little-known galaxy located 300 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo, which had been quiet for decades¡ªsuddenly started shining brighter than ever before.

This is not normal

Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory said the development was unusual, as when a star gets too close to a black hole and is torn apart, it can make galaxies suddenly light up. But these brightness variations typically last only a few dozen or, at most, a few hundred days.

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ESO

SDSS 1335+0728 is getting brighter

However, SDSS 1335+0728 is still growing brighter today, more than four years after it was first seen to "switch on." This, scientists say, is the result of a "sudden awakening" of the supermassive black hole.

What is a supermassive black hole

A supermassive black hole is described as the definition of invisible¡ªnot even light can escape the pull of its awesome power. The only way to observe black holes is when they destroy something huge that lets off light in its death throes, such as a star that wandered too close and was torn apart.

"These giant monsters usually are sleeping," explained Dr. Claudio Ricci, an astronomer with Diego Portales University and the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University.

How big is SDSS 1335+0728

Initial observations indicate the black hole has 1.5 million times more mass than the Sun, enough for it to be classified as a supermassive black hole.

Also read: Novel Way Allows Astronomers To Study Life Cycle Of Supermassive Black Holes

ESO

¡°In the case of SDSS 1335+0728, we were able to observe the awakening of the massive black hole, which suddenly started to feast on gas available in its surroundings, becoming very bright,¡± Dr. Garc¨ªa said. ¡°This process has never been observed before.¡±

How did it suddenly awake

What triggered the sudden brightening is unclear, but writing in Astronomy and Astrophysics, the researchers say the most likely explanation is the creation of an ¡°active galactic nucleus,¡± where a vast black hole at the center of a galaxy starts actively consuming the material around it.

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