Astronomers witness ravenous black hole lighting up the center of a galaxy.

Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy begin to consume surrounding gas, transforming itself into an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This phenomenon, which causes the galaxy to become the brightest steady light source in the universe, may provide insights into how galaxies evolve and black holes grow. The researchers used the Zwicky Transient Facility to identify galaxies that transitioned from quiescent to AGN states, and they focused on one galaxy, SDSS1335+0728, that showed the most change. The team believes that a black hole with a mass one million times that of the Sun switched on an AGN at the center of this galaxy, but they are also considering the possibility of a tidal disruption event. Further observations with advanced telescopes will help to determine the cause of the AGN and shed light on the feeding mechanisms of these cosmic phenomena. [Extracted from the article]