"Discovery: Infrared Reveals Massive Black Hole Feeding Frenzy"

An international team of researchers has discovered 18 previously hidden tidal disruption events (TDEs) where black holes tear apart stars, using infrared observations to penetrate dust-rich galaxies. These events, which were missed by optical and X-ray searches, provide new insights into TDE demographics and suggest that TDEs may be more common than previously thought. The findings also address the "missing energy" question and indicate that future surveys with infrared capabilities could reveal hundreds or even thousands of TDEs annually.