Scientists find black hole disco lights aren’t just random noise

Scientists from India and Israel have detected mysterious X-ray flickers from a black hole 28,000 light-years away. What once seemed like random bursts of energy has now been directly tied to shifts in the black hole’s high-energy environment.

Researchers using India’s AstroSat observatory found that the black hole GRS 1915+105 creates a pattern of bright bursts that flash quickly 70 times a second, followed by periods of complete silence where the signals disappear.

What the flickers reveal about black holes

The team linked the X-ray signals to changes in the black hole corona, the ring of superheated plasma around the object. During bright phases, the corona compresses and heats dramatically, creating a cascade of flickering X-rays. In dimmer phases, it cools and expands, silencing the signals.

This is the first direct evidence connecting corona behavior to the strange pulses astronomers have observed for years. Professor Santabrata Das of IIT Guwahati described it as a breakthrough in cosmic plasma physics.

Did you know?
The black hole GRS 1915+105 is one of the fastest spinning black holes ever measured, completing nearly 1,000 rotations per second.

India’s AstroSat at the heart of discovery

AstroSat, launched in 2015, provides India with a powerful platform to observe high-energy astrophysics. Its precision allowed scientists to measure the black hole’s flickering pattern and connect it to a predictable rhythm of corona activity.

Dr. Anuj Nandi from ISRO’s Satellite Centre said this evidence proves the black hole environment is far more dynamic than once assumed, with plasma continuously reshaping itself.

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Challenging old assumptions

Previously, coronas were thought to be relatively stable features. This research shows they can shift rapidly, reshaping in seconds as inflowing stellar material interacts with immense gravity.

GRS 1915+105, which has a mass twelve times greater than the Sun, strips material from a nearby star. That process generates immense heat and magnetic turbulence, feeding an unstable corona.

Beyond one discovery

The finding deepens knowledge of how black holes influence broader galactic processes, from star formation to galaxy growth. For India, it underscores how homegrown missions like AstroSat are enabling contributions at the frontier of space science.

As scientists continue mapping these cosmic patterns, the image of black holes as silent, static monsters is fading. Instead, they appear alive with rhythm and energy, cosmic engines whose flickers may help unlock some of the universe’s greatest mysteries.