Astronomers have discovered an extraordinarily luminous transient phenomenon, affectionately dubbed “Scary Barbie.” This object, designated ZTF20abrbeie, is a supermassive black hole consuming a massive star, with an event lasting over 800 days—far longer than typical astronomical changes, which usually span weeks or months. The discovery was made possible through advanced big data analysis techniques, utilizing an AI program named REFITT, which combs through vast amounts of telescope data to find intriguing celestial events.
Danny Milisavljevic, a physics and astronomy expert, noted that the brightness of Scary Barbie is incomprehensibly greater than a supernova, making it one of the most energetic phenomena ever observed. As the supermassive black hole tears apart the star through tidal forces—a process known as spaghettification—the light reaching Earth is affected by relativity, causing a perception of extended duration for the event.
Scientists utilized data from various observatories, showcasing the power of collaboration in uncovering significant cosmic events hidden in previously collected data. Ongoing research on Scary Barbie promises to deepen understanding of stellar lifecycles and extreme astronomical events.
