Supermassive Black Hole Continues Emitting Powerful Jet Years After Consuming Star
A supermassive black hole, designated AT2018hyz, located 665 million light-years away, has been observed emitting an increasingly powerful jet of material six years after consuming a star.
Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole, designated AT2018hyz, located 665 million light-years away, emitting an increasingly powerful jet of material six years after consuming a star. This event, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), occurs when a star is torn apart by a black hole's gravitational forces. The resulting jet, nicknamed "Jetty McJetface," has intensified approximately 50-fold since its initial detection in 2019. It now emits energy between a trillion and 100 trillion times greater than the fictional Death Star's laser in Star Wars. The jet's energy output is expected to continue growing until around 2027. Relativistic jets like this are extremely rare, forming in only about 1% of TDEs. The increasing luminosity may be due to the jet gradually aligning with Earth's line of sight. Future observations aim to further understand the mechanics of this rare black hole behavior.