Astronomers discover largest cosmic explosion ever seen

Astronomers have observed an extraordinary cosmic explosion, which they say is the largest and brightest ever seen.

The event, known as AT2021lwx, lasted for several years, making it far longer than a typical supernova, and was 10 times brighter than any supernova observed so far. Scientists believe the event was caused by a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy devouring a large cloud of gas.

The researchers discovered the explosion by chance while they were looking for a type of supernova using ground-based telescopes. Lead researcher Philip Wiseman said the fact that the event remained bright for over two years was unusual as supernovae and tidal disruption events typically last for only a couple of months before fading away.

While scientists cannot be sure what caused the explosion, they think it might have occurred when a huge cloud of hydrogen gas got too close to a supermassive black hole, and parts of it were consumed as they passed the event horizon. This led to shock waves throughout the rest of the cloud and other material surrounding the black hole.

The researchers plan to study the event further by observing it in different wavelengths such as X-rays. They are also hoping that upcoming telescopes, like the Vera Rubin Observatory, will be able to detect other similar events and provide further insight into the evolution of galaxies.