Astronomers Witness , the Largest Cosmic Explosion , Ever Recorded.
The explosion was first observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility in 2020.
Astronomers are now referring to it as the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed.
.
It went unnoticed for a year as it gradually got brighter, Dr. Philip Wiseman, an astronomer at Southampton University, via 'The Guardian'.
'The Guardian' reports that astronomers believe the massive explosion was triggered by a supermassive black hole consuming a giant cloud of gas.
The explosion, which was ten times brighter than any other known supernova, was traced to 8 billion light-years away.
We’ve estimated it’s a fireball 100 times the size of the solar system with a brightness about 2 trillion times the sun’s.
In three years, this event has released about 100 times as much energy as the sun will in its 10 billion-year lifetime, Dr. Philip Wiseman, an astronomer at Southampton University, via 'The Guardian'.
We’ve estimated it’s a fireball 100 times the size of the solar system with a brightness about 2 trillion times the sun’s.
In three years, this event has released about 100 times as much energy as the sun will in its 10 billion-year lifetime, Dr. Philip Wiseman, an astronomer at Southampton University, via 'The Guardian'.
'The Guardian' reports that black holes are often surrounded by a halo of gas and dust.
Astronomers believe that this material was somehow disrupted and sent on a collision course with the black hole.
According to the team, as the material approached the event horizon, it would have given off huge amounts of both heat and light.
.
The team's findings were published in 'Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.'
