Astronomers discover a strange universal rule behind black hole eruptions

Scientists have discovered that black holes of vastly different sizes appear to launch powerful jets according to the same universal rule. The breakthrough could explain why some black holes suddenly erupt years after devouring a star and help astronomers predict when these spectacular outbursts will happen. Astronomers discover a strange universal rule behind black hole eruptions.

Astronomers discover a strange universal rule behind black hole eruptions Science News from research organizations Astronomers discover a strange universal rule behind black hole eruptions Scientists have uncovered a hidden rule that could explain and help predict when black holes unleash enormous jets into space. Even though black holes can differ in mass by millions of times, researchers found that they seem to follow the same fundamental pattern when producing these enormous cosmic outflows. The discovery, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that black holes can activate their jets at the same critical stage of their feeding cycle, whether they weigh roughly 10 times as much as the Sun or millions of times more.

Adelle Goodwin, an astrophysicist at Curtin University’s International Centre of Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) and a Forrest Research Foundation Fellow, alongside co-author Dr. Andrew Mummery of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The breakthrough emerged from years of studying unusual events in which supermassive black holes tear stars apart.

By combining observations from telescopes in Australia, the United States, India, South Africa, and space, the scientists pieced together a clearer picture of how black holes behave as they consume matter.