Astronomers have spotted the biggest cosmic explosion ever seen
New ScientistAPR 2 2023
Astronomers are observing one of the most violent and energetic acts of cosmic cannibalism ever witnessed, perhaps the biggest explosion seen yet in the history of the universe. For a phenomenon like this to occur, you need a giant star that is being shredded by an enormous black hole. The black hole at the center of this event might have a mass of perhaps a billion times more than our own sun.
An alternative theory suggests that a supermassive black hole is consuming a cloud of gas and dust, not a giant star. A supermassive black hole is often surrounded by a ring of material, which has been knocked off its orbit and is being absorbed by the black hole. As this is happening, shock waves are spreading through the cloud, heating the matter in it and shooting out bright light. The jury is still out on the true nature of this cosmic cataclysm.