Astronomers Discover Largest Cosmic Explosion Spewing Light for 3 Years
The largest cosmic explosion ever observed, known as AT2021lwx, has been discovered by a team of astronomers led by the University of Southampton. It is over ten times brighter than any previously-known supernova and three times brighter than the brightest tidal disruption event. Unlike most supernovae, which only remain visible for a few months, AT2021lwx has been visible for over three years. The explosion occurred nearly eight billion light years away and is still being monitored by a network of telescopes. The experts believe that AT2021lwx was likely caused by a vast cloud of gas, possibly thousands of times larger than our sun, which has been violently disrupted by a supermassive black hole.
