A team of astronomers led by the University of Southampton have uncovered the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed.
A team of astronomers led by the University of Southampton have uncovered the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed.
The explosion is more than ten times brighter than any known supernova (exploding star) and three times brighter than the brightest tidal disruption event, where a star falls into a supermassive black hole.
The explosion, known as AT2021lwx, has currently lasted over three years, compared to most supernovae which are only visibly bright for a few months. It took place nearly 8 billion light years away, when the universe was around 6 billion years old, and is still being detected by a network of telescopes.
Read more at: University of Southampton
Artist impression of a black hole accretion (Photo Credit: John A. Paice)
