Scientists have suggested in their new study that a supermassive black hole present at the nearest spot to Earth has become awake — as it was said to be in a period of dormancy — and has started to turn millions of times more powerful, reported Independent.
Black holes are massive objects present in nearly the centre of nearly every giant galaxy. It also forms when a giant star dies and collapsed under its own weight. These space objects are so powerful that they pull inside everything which enters their event horizon. Not even light can escape from their potent pull.
The nearest-to-Earth supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* is located at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and is four million times huge than our Sun, according to the research paper published in the journal Nature.
Currently, scientists have regarded this supermassive black hole as very "quiescent", which is not active and shows its luminosity.
According to scientists, about 200 years ago, it ate cosmic objects that got too close to it and became vastly more bright.
The researchers have also estimated that the increase in brightness happened over just a year, and is as if a single glow-worm hidden in a forest suddenly became as bright as the Sun.
As for now, the researchers do not know why this happened, however, they will continue to examine the black hole and its transformation, seeking understanding about what would make the massive space object turn active from previously being dormant.
The current activity was identified by the astronomers who caught an X-ray "echo" centuries on.
Scientists have noted that it also explains the intense bright shine of galactic molecular clouds around the black hole as they are reflecting those X-rays that came out of the black hole towards the start of the 19th century.