Researchers are puzzled by a black hole that has been unleashing vast amounts of energy continuously for the past four years.
Black holes are one of the last things you would want to approach in space.
If our planet ever came close to one of these enigmatic cosmic entities, Earth would face swift destruction through a process known as ‘spaghettification’, where the intense gravitational pull of the black hole tears apart anything that ventures too near.
In a similar fate, a star was ripped apart a few years ago. Scientists observed this tidal disruption event in 2018, but it didn’t garner much attention at the time. Yvette Cendes, an astrophysicist from the University of Oregon, described it as a rather ‘boring’ occurrence.
Years later, Cendes noticed an unusual activity associated with the same black hole.
Initially, the black hole appeared inactive, but Cendes discovered it was emitting significant energy in the form of radio waves.
Since then, Cendes and her team have been monitoring the black hole, which, after four years, continues to grow stronger.
Its brightness has increased by 50 times since the initial discovery, and Cendes remarked that such prolonged energy emission after a star’s consumption by a black hole is ‘unprecedented’.
The astronomically significant object is officially named AT2018hyz, although Cendes refers to it as ‘Jetty McJetface’.
Recently, Cendes and her team published a paper detailing how Jetty McJetface’s energy levels have surged over the years.
Researchers examining the black hole have performed calculations indicating that its energy outflow may rival that of a gamma ray burst, potentially classifying it as ‘among the most powerful single events ever detected in the universe’, according to a news release from the University of Oregon.
To simplify for Star Wars enthusiasts, the statement highlighted the black hole’s power: “Avid Star Wars fans have calculated the immense energy output of the notorious Death Star. This black hole emits at least a trillion times that energy, potentially reaching 100 trillion times more.”
Regarding the remarkably ‘unusual’ nature of the black hole, Cendes commented, “I’d be hard-pressed to think of anything rising like this over such a long period of time.”
The energy of the black hole is predicted to peak next year.
Following this black hole’s remarkable behavior, Cendes is also on the lookout for other black holes that might display similar phenomena.