A Supermassive Black Hole That Behaves Like The Sun

This artist's illustration shows a sudden outburst of matter near the supermassive black hole in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3783. The ejected material reached speeds up to 20% of the speed of light. Contrary to most of these types of outburst, this one wasn't generated by powerful radiation. Instead, it's likely due to sudden changes in the SMBHs magnetic fields. It's more similar to the Sun's outbursts, which generate solar flares. Image Credit: ESA. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: ATG Europe. LICENCE: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence

An international team of astronomers observed a sudden outburst of matter near the supermassive black hole NGC 3783 at speeds reaching up to 20% of the speed of light. During a ten-day observation, mainly with the XRISM space telescope, the researchers witnessed its formation and acceleration. Scientists often find that these outbursts are powered by strong radiation, but this time the most likely cause is a sudden change in the magnetic field, similar to bursts on the Sun that cause solar flares.

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