A Cosmic Light Show is Expected Next Year as a Black Hole Devours a Star

Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole consume a star in two phases and have predicted when it might take a third. If it happens, it could create a fascinating cosmic light show.

Black holes are known for their chaotic eating habits. When a star gets too close, the intense gravitational forces tear it apart and scatter its material, creating a bright flash of light detectable by telescopes. These occurrences are known as tidal disruption events (TDEs).

In 2018, a signal from a system located about 860 million light-years away was detected. For about 500 days, X-rays and ultraviolet light flared brightly before suddenly dimming.

Further analysis using the NICER, Chandra, and XMM-Newton instruments showed that the brightening was due to a star being torn apart, and the fading likely marked the star’s final destruction as the black hole consumed the last of its material. This event, a classic tidal disruption event (TDE), was named AT2018fyk.

Unexpected Second Encounter with the Black Hole

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the end of the story. Nearly two years later, the X-ray and UV light flared up again. The black hole was taking another bite, indicating the star had survived the initial encounter and was only partially eaten.

It appears the star was thrown into an elliptical orbit around the black hole, causing it to move far away and then swing back dangerously close. Astronomers calculated the star’s trajectory and predicted that the second phase of consumption would end in August 2023.

“The clear sign that this cosmic meal was finishing would be a sudden drop in X-rays, and that’s exactly what we observed in our Chandra data on August 14, 2023,” said Dheeraj Pasham, the lead author of the study. “Our data show that in August last year, the black hole was essentially finishing its meal and moving on.”

With this new data, the researchers estimated that the star’s eccentric orbit brings it close to the black hole approximately every 1,300 days, or about three and a half years. Based on this, the team predicted when the next burst of light should occur.

“We believe the black hole’s third encounter with the star, if any of it remains, will start between May and August 2025 and last for almost two years,” said Eric Coughlin, a co-author of the study. “This will likely be more of a snack than a full meal, as the second feeding was smaller than the first, and the star is being gradually consumed.”

Astronomers will be closely monitoring AT2018fyk during this period to see if their prediction comes true.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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