For the first time, the oscillating signal that heralds the last gasps of a star falling victim to a previously dormant supermassive black hole has been detected.
Suzaku and XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray telescopes picked up semi-regular blips in the light from a galaxy 3.9 billion light years away in the northern constellation Draco the dragon.
The blips have often been detected at smaller black holes and they’re believed to emanate from material about to be sucked in. It can be thought of as hearing the star scream as it gets devoured.
Read more at University of Michigan