A black hole 10 billion light years away produced the brightest flare ever seen, likely from a star torn apart by its gravity.

Scientists have detected the brightest black hole flare ever recorded, shining with the light of 10 trillion suns and originating from a supermassive black hole 10 billion light years away. Observed in 2018 by the Palomar Observatory, the flare peaked over three months and is believed to result from a massive star being torn apart by the black hole’s gravity—a tidal disruption event. The event, now fading, is the most distant such flare ever seen, offering insights into early universe conditions and black hole behavior. Findings were published in Nature Astronomy.