AT2021lwx, or a cosmic explosion described by astronomers as “Terrible Barbie”, was first discovered in 2020 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in the USA. Research into this explosion, which has remained a mystery ever since, has been going on for years.
Now, a study led by researchers from the University of Southampton in England has revealed new information about this explosion. Scientists stated that AT2021 is the largest cosmic explosion ever discovered. The research findings are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
8 billion light-years from Earth, AT2021lwx has been running for at least three years
In fact, another study carried out last week suggested that AT2021lwx is a star torn apart by a supermassive black hole. Let’s add that this phenomenon is characterized as a tidal disruption event. But the new study says the eruption was three times brighter than the brightest tidal disruption event ever detected. On the other hand, it is added that it is 10 times brighter than supernovas (explosion of stars).
The research argues that a supermassive black hole is eating a giant gas cloud 1,000 times more massive than the Sun rather than a star: “At first we thought this might be the result of a black hole consuming a star. But our models showed that for the black hole to stay bright for that long, it would have to swallow 15 times the mass of the Sun. It is very rare to meet such a star. So we think the possibility of a larger gas cloud is more likely.
According to the study, AT2021lwx is 8 billion light-years from Earth. The explosion is thought to have occurred when the universe was 6 billion years old. It is added that this event, which is described as the biggest explosion, lasted at least three years. Very large glowing phenomena, such as supernovas and tidal disruption events, are only visible for a few months. But the AT2021lwx’s three-year run shows just how big its size is.
The cause of the explosion is unknown, although the possibility of a gas cloud is considered.
Quasars are the only equivalent to the brightness of the AT2021lwx. Quasars, which have a very high luminosity and mass and are located at the center of galaxies, are described as the brightest objects in the universe. The AT2021lwx may even be the beginning of a quasar phase; however, it is not possible to say anything about why it occurs. This suggests that we may see more research on the eruption.
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