MIT astronomers have discovered the closest tidal disruption event (TDE) to date, labeled WTP14adbjsh, located in the galaxy NGC 7392, approximately 137 million light-years from Earth. This finding, made using infrared data, marks a significant advancement as it suggests that many TDEs in star-forming galaxies may have previously been overlooked due to dust obscuring X-ray and optical radiation. Traditionally, TDEs—events where supermassive black holes rip apart passing stars—are detected through optical and X-ray surveys, but these methods may miss events like WTP14adbjsh. Their discovery was prompted by an analysis of archival data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission, which identified a bright flash in late 2014 that escalated in luminosity by 2015. Researchers were able to determine that the supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 7392 is about 30 million solar masses, further suggesting a connection to the presence of young, star-forming activity in the galaxy. This study emphasizes the importance of infrared surveys to capture previously hidden TDEs in dusty, active galaxies, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of supermassive black holes and their host environments. The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on April 28, 2023.
