According to Paula Sánchez-Sáez of the European Southern Observatory, the galaxy SDSS1335+0728 hosts a massive dormant black hole at its center. The flare is theorized to be caused by the black hole awakening from dormancy and devouring surrounding gas, which heats up intensely before falling into the black hole. This phenomenon, if confirmed, would mark the first direct observation of a black hole transitioning from a dormant state to an active phase. The black hole in question is significantly larger than our Sun, and had been dormant for at least two decades before the flare event in 2019. The ongoing four-year flare suggests an unusual event, possibly involving the shredding of a star that ventured too close to the black hole.

Source: The Express Tribune June 23, 2024 20:27 UTC