Largest observed flare from a black hole unleashes the light of 10 trillion suns

(CNN) — Astronomers have spotted the largest and most distant flare ever observed from a supermassive black hole. Nicknamed “Superman,” the flare originated 10 billion light-years from Earth, and at its peak, the light emitted shone with the brightness of 10 trillion suns.

The source of the flare is an active galactic nucleus, or AGN — a bright, compact region at the center of a galaxy — and it’s powered by a supermassive black hole that is actively feeding on material. Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.

Researchers pondered what the gargantuan black hole consumed to release such a powerful flare. They concluded it likely gobbled up a massive star that would have other