Black Hole Burps Star Remains With Energy Trillions of Times Greater Than the Death Star

A Cosmic Belch of Unprecedented Power

A supermassive black hole located six hundred and sixty-five million light-years from Earth has been spewing out the remains of a devoured star for four years, and it is only getting more powerful. The event, described in research published in the Astrophysical Journal on February 5th 2026, may represent one of the most energetic single phenomena ever observed in the universe.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

The black hole, officially designated AT2018hyz but affectionately nicknamed Jetty McJetface by researchers, first attracted attention in 2018 when it ripped apart a passing star in what is known as a tidal disruption event. At first, the event appeared completely ordinary. But years later, astrophysicist Yvette Cendes of the University of Oregon noticed something strange: the black hole had begun emitting powerful radio waves, despite showing almost no activity immediately after consuming the star.

Spaghettification and a Delayed Eruption

When a star strays too close to a supermassive black hole, gravitational forces stretch it into long, thin strands in a process known as spaghettification. The stellar debris then forms a swirling disc around the black hole, heating up as it falls inward. In this case, powerful magnetic forces appear to have redirected some of that falling material outward, launching a narrow jet of high-energy particles into space.

Still Growing Stronger

The radio emissions from Jetty McJetface are now fifty times brighter than when they were first detected in 2019, placing the energy output on par with a gamma-ray burst, one of the most luminous types of explosion known to science. The total energy released is estimated at between one trillion and one hundred trillion times the output of the fictional Death Star. Scientists predict the emissions will continue rising exponentially until reaching a peak sometime in 2027, potentially doubling in brightness from current levels.

A New Frontier in Astronomy

The discovery challenges the conventional understanding that tidal disruption events fade quickly. Cendes and her team are now searching for similar delayed eruptions from other black holes, opening an entirely new avenue for understanding how these cosmic giants process stellar material long after their initial meal.