Astronomers have discovered three supermassive black holes located 80 billion light-years from Earth, which are consuming enormous stars, significantly larger than our sun. This finding, a collaborative study by the University of Hawaii and others, utilized data from NASA and the European Space Agency, revealing cosmic events that are considered the most powerful since the Big Bang. These black holes generate titanic explosions when they shred and ingest stars, termed “extreme nuclear transients” by the researchers. Anna Payne, a co-author of the study, expressed excitement over the potential to understand the universe’s most energetic environments through these findings.
Supermassive black holes, considered the largest type, sit at the centers of galaxies, drawing in everything, including light. When stars venture too close, they can undergo dramatic disintegration, leading to spectacular cosmic explosions. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, documents two of the three black holes for the first time, with discoveries dating back to 2016 and 2018. The third black hole, nicknamed “Barbie” (ZTF20abrbeie), was identified in 2020.
These cosmic explosions are unique; during these events, black holes can brighten, shining brightly for several months. This behavior aids astronomers in identifying and studying more black holes in the distant universe. As light from distant objects takes time to reach Earth, these discoveries allow scientists to look back in time, offering new insights into the early universe. Payne emphasized the importance of these findings as a blueprint for future research, enhancing comprehension of black holes and the dynamic processes surrounding them.
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