Astronomers have observed a significant increase in brightness from a galaxy located in the Virgo constellation, pinpointing the activity to a colossal black hole at its core, which is about a million times the mass of the sun. This phenomenon began to unfold at the end of 2019 when the Zwicky Transient Facility in California detected an unusual luminosity surge. This galaxy, known as SDSS1335+0728 and situated 300 million light years away, has exhibited changes across various wavelengths, including mid-infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray.
The sudden brightening could be due to the black hole becoming an active galactic nucleus that consumes surrounding material, though researchers also consider the possibility of a tidal disruption event, where a star is torn apart by the black hole’s gravitational forces. The exact cause remains uncertain, necessitating further observation to distinguish between these scenarios. This ongoing monitoring aims to unravel the specific processes contributing to the galaxy’s dramatic increase in brightness.
For further details, refer to the full report on The Guardian.