Space
Unusual signals called quasi periodic eruptions appear to come from black holes, but we don’t know what creates them. Now astronomers have seen the most powerful one of these signals ever, and have a new idea about their cause
By Alex Wilkins
An artist’s impression of gas and dust around the massive black hole at the centre of the galaxy SDSS1335+0728
ESO/M. Kornmesser
Strange X-ray pulses blasted out from a recently awakened monster black hole are the most powerful astronomers have seen, and may help explain how these cosmic behemoths emerge from their slumber.
A few years ago, astronomers spotted mysterious rhythmic signals coming from a black hole. The exact cause was unclear, but because the signals appeared to have repeating elements, they were dubbed quasi periodic eruptions (QPEs). Since then, astronomers have discovered a handful of QPEs coming…
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