The centre of our galaxy houses a gigantic black hole named Sagittarius A* is mostly dim and introverted.
However...
The hole has intermittently fired emissions becoming brighter before settling back into its regular state after a few hours.
A paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters outlines the environmental change in Sagittarius A*, particularly its increased activity.
Strangely, the black hole has only become more active this year with the last 20 years of recording provide no such similar activity.
The team behind the paper looked at a collection of 13,000 observations since 2003 and found only one other instance of bright emission and even that was 50% of the level the current activity creates.
The emission of X-ray particles most likely results from electrons spiralling around magnetic field lines in a process called synchrotron emission. It's not fully understood how it's occurring here, but the researchers think the electrons must be continuously re-accelerated as they move out along the jet.
The assumed culprit for instigating the activity is none other than S0-2, a neighbouring star that orbits close to the hole feeding it material to be ejected as emissions pour out.
In any case, our beloved centre hole is furiously ejecting into the deep unknown like we have never seen and we hope against hope it settles back into its regular introverted slumber.
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