NASA’s Chandra Telescope Detects Massive, Record-Breaking X-Ray Flare From The Milky Way’s Black Hole!

Scientists studying data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray telescope have confirmed that a recent X-ray flare detected from the center of our own Milky Way galaxy is the largest ever they have ever come across. In a press release issued by NASA, they have confirmed that the record-breaking X-ray flare definitely came from the super-massive black hole known as the Sagittarius A*- located at the dense center of our galaxy.The release adds that the X-ray flare detected by Chandra was found to be almost 400 times brighter than the brightness levels usually observed in that area of the Milky Way.

While scientists do not have a clear explanation on what has caused the spurt in the release of X-rays from Sagittarius A*, they do add that there could be two plausible reasons for it to happen. The first explanation talks about a wayward asteroid that could have been pulled in by the powerful gravitational pull of Sagittarius A* and was simply torn up in the process. Scientists believe that the debris from such an event could have heated up to extreme levels and eventually released X-rays in the process after which they disappeared forever across the black hole’s point of no return also known as an event horizon.

According to Fred Baganoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts;

“If an asteroid was torn apart, it would go around the black hole for a couple of hours – like water circling an open drain – before falling in. That’s just how long we saw the brightest X-ray flare last, so that is an intriguing clue for us to consider. If this theory holds up, it means astronomers may have found evidence for the largest asteroid to produce an observed X-ray flare after being torn apart by Sgr A*.”

The second theory is that the X-ray flare was simply the result of a reconfiguration of magnetic fields surrounding Sagittarius A*, reports Phys.Org. According to researchers these field lines surrounding the black hole have a tendency to occasionally reconfigure themselves and produce a bright outburst of X-rays as a byproduct. How do we know about this? Such flares are commonly seen happening on our very own sun.

Scientists estimate that the super-massive black hole that is the Sagittarius A*, has 4.5 million times the mass of the Sun.

What is even more remarkable about the discovery of this powerful burst of X-rays is that scientists were actually looking for something else in the region when this cosmic firework took place. According to Daryl Haggard, a lead researcher at the Amherst College in Massachusetts, they were using the Chandra telescope to observe the effects of a could of gas known as the G2 on the Sagittarius A*.

“Unfortunately, the G2 gas cloud didn’t produce the fireworks we were hoping for when it got close to Sgr A*. However, nature often surprises us and we saw something else that was really exciting.”

According to Haggard she and her team detected the X-ray flare on September 14, 2014. It was 400 times brighter than its usual, quiet state. She observes that this flare was three times brighter than a similar flare that was detected from Sagittarius A* back in 2012. Another X-ray megaflare, 200 times brighter than usual was detected a month later on October 20 as well.

Meanwhile, debate is still on as to what could have caused a spike in the number of giant X-ray fares emanating from the center of our galaxy. Gabriele Ponti of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, Germany adds.

“Such rare and extreme events give us a unique chance to use a mere trickle of infalling matter to understand the physics of one of the most bizarre objects in our galaxy.”

[Image Via NASA]