Supermassive Black Hole Revives in Nearby Galaxy, Brightens Tenfold
Dormant black hole revives in under three years, brightening 10-fold in nearby galaxy

Image: Phys.org
Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in the Seyfert galaxy ESO 511-G030 revive dramatically, brightening by a factor of 10 in ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths within three years. This recovery followed a period of diminished activity and suggests a universal threshold for accretion flow changes in black holes.
- 01The black hole in ESO 511-G030 has a mass of approximately 17 million solar masses.
- 02The black hole's accretion disk began reviving around 2021, with significant brightening occurring between 2021 and 2023.
- 03The transition to a brighter state occurred when the black hole was feeding at just below 1% of its theoretical maximum rate.
- 04The study provides evidence that accretion-state transitions in supermassive black holes may mirror those observed in stellar-mass black holes.
- 05The research highlights the need for simultaneous X-ray monitoring to better understand supermassive black holes' behavior.
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A team of astronomers led by Riccardo Middei from the INAF Astronomical Observatory of Rome has been monitoring the Seyfert galaxy ESO 511-G030, where a supermassive black hole has recently revived. Over a span of six years, the black hole brightened by a factor of 10 in ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. This revival followed a significant decrease in activity, with the accretion disk showing signs of recovery starting in 2021. The researchers noted that the X-ray emissions lagged behind the ultraviolet brightening, indicating a sequential recovery process. The study suggests that the transition occurred when the black hole was feeding at just below 1% of its maximum rate, aligning with observations in smaller black holes. These findings challenge existing models of accretion disks and emphasize the need for enhanced monitoring of such systems, particularly as the Vera Rubin Observatory prepares to expand the catalog of active galaxies.
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