Scientists report the biggest black hole flare ever seen, with light of 10 trillion suns

A supermassive black hole gobbled up a huge enormous star, producing the biggest and most distant black hole flare ever recorded, according to a new study.

A supermassive black hole violently gobbled up an enormous star, producing a cosmic outburst with the light of 10 trillion suns, according to a new study.

The black hole flare, as the phenomenon is known, is thought to be the biggest and most distant ever recorded — it was detected from 10 billion light-years away.

“This is really a one-in-a-million object,” said Matthew Graham, a research professor of astronomy at the California Institute of Technology and the lead author of the study, which was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Graham said a black hole flare is the most likely explanation based on the outburst's intensity and duration, but follow-up studies will help the researchers confirm their findings.

It’s not unusual for black holes to consume nearby stars, gas, dust and other forms of matter, but such a gargantuan flaring event is exceedingly rare, Graham said.