Astronomers have uncovered the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed. The explosion is more than 10 times brighter than any known supernova and three times brighter than the brightest tidal disruption event, where a star falls into a supermassive black hole. The explosion, known as AT2021lwx, has currently lasted more than three years, compared to most supernovae which are only visibly bright for a few months. Last year, astronomers witnessed the brightest explosion on record – a gamma-ray burst known as GRB 221009A. Although this was brighter than AT2021lwx, it lasted for just a fraction of the time, meaning the overall energy released by the AT2021lwx explosion was far greater.

Source: The Times May 12, 2023 04:04 UTC