Scientists observe record-breaking flare from distant supermassive black hole
California: Scientists have observed the brightest known flare emitted from a supermassive black hole. According to researcher it is a burst that shone with the intensity of nearly 10 trillion suns. Such an event was first recorded in 2018. This new occurrence is helping astronomers understand the behavior and surroundings of black holes in the early universe.
A camera at the Palomar Observatory in California detected the flare. It grew to peak brightness over three months. It is gradually fading since then. Researchers believe a big star drifting too close to the black hole and being torn apart caused the burst.
“At first, we did not really believe the numbers about the energy,” said study author Matthew Graham of the California Institute of Technology, which operates the observatory.
Nature Astronomy published the details of the flare on Tuesday. It informed that the black hole responsible for the flare is located about 10 billion light years away. It is the most distant event of its kind ever recorded. The universe was still relatively young at the time the flare is believed to have occurred.
Scientists say these events provide clues about the gas, stars and magnetic activity surrounding these black holes. According to Joseph Michail of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who was not part of the study, such findings help researchers “probe the interaction of supermassive black holes with their environments early in the universe.”
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UAE condemns 'terrorist' attack on Indian-flagged vessel off Oman coast
Dubai (PTI): The UAE has condemned a strike on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, calling it a "terrorist attack" and a "dangerous escalation" that threatens the stability of critical waterways.
The commercial vessel, which was sailing from Somalia, came under attack on Wednesday, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
All 14 crew members were rescued by Omani authorities, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike, it said.
"The UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack on Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman," the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued on Thursday. "This attack constitutes a grave threat to the security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the stability of critical waterways."
The incident took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
The MoFA further said that the attack on the India-flagged vessel on Wednesday was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the importance of freedom of navigation and rejects the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
It emphasised that "targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represent acts of piracy and constitute a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security".
The UAE expressed solidarity with India and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding the security and safety of its vessels and interests, the statement said.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
