A high-school junior has made a groundbreaking discovery in astronomy, stumbling upon a “light echo” – a cosmic phenomenon that can still be seen long after a black hole in the center of a galaxy has sputtered out.
Julian Shapiro, 17, was scanning images from the DECaPS2 survey when he found an object with a structure unlike any other. Initially thought to be a supernova remnant or planetary nebula, it turned out to be a light echo – the afterglow of a now-dormant black hole.
Using measurements from the Southern African Large Telescope, Shapiro detected high contents of oxygen and ionized sulfur in the region, indicative of shocked material. These signs suggest that the object is the remnant of a black hole that once spewed radiation, causing it to emit light even after quieting down.
The light echo stands at about 150,000 to 250,000 light-years in diameter – roughly 1.5 times the width of the Milky Way galaxy. Shapiro believes this could be the largest light echo ever discovered, making it a significant find for astronomers studying black holes.
Sasha Plavin, a Harvard University researcher, praises Shapiro’s attention to detail and notes that these galactic events can provide valuable insights into how black holes behave in galaxies. The discovery has sparked interest in seeing how this new light echo measures up to others in terms of speed and behavior.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/high-school-student-accidentally-discovers-153000767.html