In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers has identified three supermassive black holes in the act of consuming massive stars. This rare phenomenon, detailed in a study published in Science Advances on June 4, 2025, offers unprecedented insights into the behavior of these cosmic giants.

The Invisible Made Visible

Black holes, by thier very nature, are invisible. Their immense gravitational pull prevents even light from escaping, rendering them undetectable through conventional means. though, their interactions with surrounding matter provide clues to their existence and location.

These cosmic vacuum cleaners lurk in the centers of galaxies, frequently enough hidden for years. They quietly accumulate gas, dust, and othre celestial debris until an unsuspecting star ventures too close. Then, the feast begins.

A Cosmic Fireworks Display

As a star spirals into a black hole, the process generates an intense burst of energy, revealing the black hole’s presence.The doomed star, unable to escape the black hole’s grip, is ultimately torn apart.

According to a statement released by the National Aeronautics and Space Management (NASA), these stellar feasts release energy equivalent to more than 100 supernovas. This makes them the most energetic cosmic explosions discovered since the big Bang.

These events are the only way to have a focus that we can illuminate in inactive black holes in another way.
Jason Hinkle, University of Hawaii

The stars involved in these events are not mere cosmic pebbles. They are massive stars, ranging from three to 10 times the mass of our sun. Their destruction unfolds over several months, a drawn-out spectacle of cosmic proportions.

Extreme Nuclear Transients: A New Cosmic Category

These events, characterized by their intense radiation, have been classified by NASA as “extreme nuclear transients,” a new category of cosmic phenomena. These transients provide a unique window into the hearts of galaxies.

jason Hinkle, a graduate student at the University of Hawaii and the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of these events:

These events are the only way to have a focus that we can illuminate in inactive black holes in another way.
Jason Hinkle, University of Hawaii

These observations offer insights into the host galaxies themselves, revealing how such events impact their environments. This has implications for environments in which these events occur. If the galaxies have these events, they are vital for the galaxies themselves, Hinkle added.

A Black Hole’s Fingerprint

Identifying these events is no easy task. Distinguishing the light emitted by a black hole devouring a star from other cosmic phenomena requires careful analysis. The key lies in the unique way the light changes over time.

The NASA report highlights the distinctive signature of these events: the way the light, observed in X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical wavelengths, brightens and fades over time. This pattern serves as a “fingerprint” that identifies the source as a black hole consuming a star.

What seems so exciting to me about this work is that we are overcoming the limits of what we consider the most energy environments of the universe.
Anna Payne, Space Telescope Science Institute

Unlocking the Secrets of the Early Universe

The discovery of these extreme nuclear transients offers a new way to study black holes in the early universe. While only a small fraction (10%) of primordial black holes are actively feeding on gas and dust, these transient events provide an alternative means of detection.

Extreme nuclear transients emit most of their light in the ultraviolet spectrum. As the universe expands, this light stretches to longer wavelengths, shifting towards the infrared range, making it easier to observe with ground-based telescopes.

Anna Payne, a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute and co-author of the study, concludes:

We can take these three objects as a model to know what to look for in the future.
Anna Payne, Space Telescope Science Institute