Astronomers Discover Unusual X-Ray Oscillations From a Black Hole 100 Million Light-Years Away

A supermassive black hole in a galaxy located 100 million light-years away has drawn the attention of astronomers with its unusual behavior. Observations have revealed a steady increase in the frequency of X-ray flashes, starting at intervals of 18 minutes and accelerating to seven minutes over two years. This phenomenon, linked to the black hole named 1ES 1927+654, marks a significant discovery in the study of black hole activity.

Unprecedented Phenomenon Observed

According to the research shared at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, the observed X-ray oscillations are believed to originate from a compact white dwarf orbiting close to the black hole’s event horizon. As reported by phys.org, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggest that this white dwarf might be maintaining a precarious orbit near the black hole, which is approximately one million times the mass of the Sun. Megan Masterson, a physics graduate student at MIT and co-lead of the study, explained that such proximity to a black hole without falling in has not been observed before.

Insights into Black Hole Dynamics

The oscillations were detected using the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton observatory, which measures X-ray emissions from extreme cosmic environments. The findings point to the possibility that the white dwarf’s gravitational waves, resulting from its orbit, could be detectable by future observatories, such as NASA’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). As reported by phys.org, Erin Kara, an associate professor of physics at MIT, highlighted that the white dwarf’s shedding of material into the black hole may be preventing it from crossing the event horizon.

Continued observations are expected to provide further understanding of the dynamics between black holes and nearby celestial objects. Researchers aim to monitor this unique system with advanced telescopes and gravitational wave detectors, promising new insights into the physics of the universe.