Topic: Research News

The Einstein Probe space telescope detected an unusual X-ray event that may be a black hole tearing apart a white dwarf star. This is the first time this has been observed directly.

On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe space telescope spotted an extremely bright X-ray source during its routine survey of the sky. The object's brightness changed rapidly, making it stand out from typical cosmic X-ray sources. This unusual detection prompted observatories around the world to begin follow-up observations.

Researchers from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong helped interpret the observations. Their analysis suggests that the event may represent an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart and consuming a white dwarf star. If confirmed, it would provide the first direct observational evidence of this type of black hole feeding event.

The discovery relied on the Einstein Probe's two complementary X-ray instruments. The Wide-field X-ray Telescope detected a rapidly changing X-ray source that was later designated EP250702a (also known as GRB 250702B). At nearly the same time, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected several gamma-ray bursts coming from the same region of the sky.

The Einstein Probe's second instrument, the Follow-up X-ray Telescope, then monitored the event as it evolved. Over roughly 20 days, the object's brightness faded by more than a factor of 100,000. During that time, its X-ray emission also shifted from higher-energy (

Implications

The Einstein Probe space telescope detected an unusual X-ray event that may be a black hole tearing apart a white dwarf star. This is the first time this has been observed directly.