Scientists have meticulously studied a supermassive black hole’s last meal, thanks to data acquired by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This black hole, known as AT2018fyk, was originally discovered in 2018 and boasts a mass 50 million times greater than our Sun.
When first observed, researchers noticed a brief surge in the system’s brightness, a telltale sign that the celestial vacuum cleaner had consumed material. They predicted that the object causing this spike would reappear in August 2023, based on its presumed orbit around the black hole. True to their calculations, the object was detected again on August 13th.
Further investigations revealed the object to be a star, trapped in a precarious orbit around the black hole. The star is too far away for the black hole to devour it whole, but close enough for the black hole’s intense gravitational pull to rip material from its surface. This ongoing feeding process, where the star is gradually disintegrated and consumed, has given researchers a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of such celestial events.
The August 13th observation allowed researchers to develop a much more precise model of the star’s orbit. This model, in turn, enables them to predict the future feeding times of the black hole, offering valuable insights into the intricate dance between these powerful celestial objects.
