
Black Hole Flare Returns Iron Echo
One night in 2008, something in the core of the distant galaxy J1047+5907 flared sharply in X-rays. That's how the neighborhood of a supermassive black hole sometimes behaves: a scorching cloud of gas above it suddenly blasts out a powerful stream of light. The black hole itself emits nothing, but its surroundings can light up like a neon sign.