Astronomers have spotted a massive explosion emanating from the first black hole ever photographed, M87*. The massive energy jet from Virgo A galaxy could help scientists understand how matter behaves around a black hole.
In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope captured an image of M87*, which is 55 million light-years away. Recent observations have revealed a gamma-ray flare, emitting photons with incredible amounts of energy – about 7 teraelectronvolts per photon. This phenomenon has sparked interest among researchers, who aim to understand how particles gain such energy near black holes.
Researchers analyzed data from the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) in Arizona and used a technique called spectral energy distribution to study the flare. The analysis revealed that the accretion disk changed position relative to the jet, suggesting that the event horizon influences the flare’s size and trajectory.
Future research into gamma-ray flares may provide insights into how black holes impart energy to surrounding particles. This study contributes to our understanding of black hole behavior and could lead to new discoveries in the field of astrophysics.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/astronomers-spot-an-enormous-explosion-from-the-1st-black-hole-ever-photographed