The Digital Press

A distant supermassive black hole produced the brightest flare ever recorded, likely caused by it tearing apart a massive star. This event, observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility, shines with the energy of 10 trillion suns and is still fading years after discovery.

Why it matters: This flare reveals extreme tidal disruption events in active galactic nuclei, deepening understanding of black hole feeding processes.

The big picture: Observing such distant flares shows how supermassive black holes and their surrounding disks influence star growth and destruction in the young universe.

Stunning stat: The flare was 30 times more luminous than any previously recorded black hole flare, from a star over 30 times the Sun’s mass.

Commenters say: Readers note the impressive energy scale but caution the star isn’t fully converted to energy, and they question phrasing implying star agency near the black hole.