Recent observations using the James Webb Space Telescope revealed stunning bursts of light from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's central black hole, located about 26,000 light-years away. Researchers from Northwestern University identified these flares emerging from an accretion disk beyond the event horizon, noting that the brightness changed unpredictably, akin to a spectacular light show. Their findings, detailed in a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlight the ongoing dynamic activity of black holes, despite their invisibility. This research provides valuable insights into the nature and behavior of black holes.
In our data, we saw constantly changing, bubbling brightness. And then boom! A big burst of brightness suddenly popped up. Then, it calmed down again.
We couldn't find a pattern in this activity. The activity profile of this black hole was new and exciting every time that we looked at it.
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