Astronomers have uncovered the largest explosion in space, known as AT2021lwx, which is a staggering ten times brighter than any known supernova and has been ongoing for at least three years. This colossal event, located 8 billion light-years from Earth, is three times brighter than tidal disruption events or TDEs, which involve stars being torn apart by supermassive black holes.
Initially detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California in 2020 and subsequently observed by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii, AT2021lwx is believed to be the result of a black hole violently disturbing a massive gas cloud[1]. Events of this magnitude are exceedingly rare, and no previous occurrences have matched the scale of AT2021lwx[1].
Although not as bright as the gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A detected in 2022, AT2021lwx has released far more energy over its lifetime due to its extended duration[1]. Researchers utilized various telescopes, including the Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope, the New Technology Telescope in Chile, and the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Palma, Spain, to closely examine this extraordinary phenomenon[1].
The team of astronomers will now conduct computer simulations to determine if their model of a titanic gas cloud disrupted by a black hole can account for the unprecedented brilliance of AT2021lwx[1]. Discoveries like this continue to expand our understanding of the universe and the powerful forces at work within it.
Astronomers have observed AT2021lwx, a massive explosion in space, which is ten times brighter than any known supernova and has been ongoing for at least three years [1]. The leading explanation for this extraordinary event is the violent disruption of an enormous gas cloud, possibly thousands of times larger than our sun, by a black hole. Researchers will now examine AT2021lwx in different wavelengths of light, including X-rays, to determine the temperature and driving processes behind the explosion [1]. They will also conduct computer simulations to assess whether their model of a massive gas cloud disturbed by a black hole can account for the unprecedented brightness of AT2021lwx.
The team's findings are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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