Astronomers have identified a new type of cosmic explosion called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), which are the most powerful blasts recorded in the universe. Produced by the obliteration of a massive star by a supermassive black hole, ENTs emit brightness nearly ten times that of typical tidal disruption events, remaining luminous for years. This discovery came from analyzing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, which revealed long-lasting flares from distant galaxies, indicating that these phenomena are exceptionally unique and more potent than even the brightest supernovae.
We've observed stars getting ripped apart as tidal disruption events for over a decade, but these ENTs are different beasts, reaching brightnesses nearly ten times greater than what we typically see.
Not only are ENTs far brighter than normal tidal disruption events, but they remain luminous for years, far surpassing the energy output of even the brightest known supernova explosions.
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