Astronomers know that when galaxies’ nuclei become active–releasing tremendous floods of energy–supermassive black holes are the ultimate culprit.
We also know that supermassive black holes lurk at the hearts of most large galaxies.
But most galaxies are not active; only a small percentage are. Our home galaxy is host to a supermassive black hole, but it’s not active. Neither is the black hole within the nucleus of our nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda.
So, what makes a supermassive black hole erupt?
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Cosmos at Your Doorstep 