The Atlantic

Black Holes Really Know How to Savor Their Meals

Astronomers have detected the glow of a star being slowly devoured millions of light-years from Earth.
Source: Sophia Dagnello / NRAO / AUI / NSF

In 2005, astronomers detected a burst of infrared light coming from the heart of a galaxy nearly 150 million light-years from Earth. They had been studying the night sky for supernovae, the glittering explosions that mark the deaths of stars, but this seemed different. Intrigued, they decided to keep an eye on it.

After years of observations, the astronomers have determined the source of this

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