'Awakening' of a black hole witnessed for the first time

06-22-2024

By Eric Ralls
Earth.com staff writer

In late 2019, the previously unremarkable galaxy SDSS1335+0728 unexpectedly brightened, prompting astronomers to investigate the cause using data from various observatories, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT).

The study, recently published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, suggests an unprecedented event: the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at the galaxy’s core.

Dramatic changes in a distant galaxy

“Imagine you’ve been observing a distant galaxy for years, and it always seemed calm and inactive,” said Paula Sánchez Sáez, an astronomer at ESO.
“Suddenly, its core starts showing dramatic changes in brightness, unlike any typical events we’ve seen before.”

While phenomena like supernova explosions or tidal disruption events can cause galaxies to suddenly light up, these typically last only a short period.

However, SDSS1335+0728 has continued to grow brighter over four years. The galaxy, located 300 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, displayed unusual brightness variations.

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https://www.earth.com/news/awakening-of-a-black-hole-witnessed-for-the-first-time/