Based on NASA data, black holes devouring massive stars have been identified.
Black hole
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A group of scientists has identified three examples of black holes that are devouring massive stars. The discovery, published in the journal Science Advances, suggests that these phenomena fall into a new category of cosmic events.
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The study was based on space- and ground-based data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and other institutions.
The information gathered made it possible to determine that these astronomical objects released more energy than 100 supernovae , which translates into the most energetic type of cosmic explosion discovered to date since the Big Bang.
According to Jason Hinkle, lead author of the study, these black holes release enormous amounts of high-energy radiation into the central regions of their host galaxies, which has implications for the environments in which they develop.
This is associated with the fact that the destruction of stars produces high-energy light that takes more than 100 days to reach its maximum brightness and more than 150 days to dim to half its maximum brightness. The way high-energy radiation affects the environment produces lower-energy emissions that telescopes can also detect.
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Black hole
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This discovery also gave rise to a category of cosmic events called "extreme nuclear transients," the search for which could help reveal some of the most massive black holes in the universe. This fact becomes even more relevant when one considers that these types of events often go unnoticed because they are silent.
Hinkle also explained that these "are the only way we can have a spotlight that we can shine on massive black holes that would otherwise be dormant."
The project researchers added that "what I find so exciting about this work is that we are pushing the boundaries of what we consider the most energetic environments in the universe."
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