A blazar known as BL Lac has brightened significantly in recent months, and astronomers are using a global network of telescopes to study the phenomenon. BL Lac is located about 950 million light-years from Earth and is powered by a supermassive black hole at its center. It is one of the brightest and most powerful objects in the universe, and its emissions can be detected across a wide range of wavelengths.
The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle, Ladakh, is one of the telescopes participating in the study. The IAO's Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) is a 2.3-meter optical telescope that is well-suited for observing BL Lac. The HCT has been used to track the blazar's brightness over time and to study its emissions at different wavelengths.
The observations from the HCT and other telescopes have revealed that BL Lac has brightened by about a factor of two since July 2020. The blazar's brightness is now at its highest level in decades. The astronomers are not sure what is causing the blazar to brighten, but they suspect that it may be related to the activity of the supermassive black hole at its center.
The study of BL Lac is important because it can help us to better understand how supermassive black holes work. BL Lac is a very active blazar, and its emissions can provide us with valuable insights into the physics of these objects. The observations from the IAO and other telescopes are helping us to piece together the puzzle of how BL Lac works and what causes it to brighten.
The study of BL Lac is also important because it can help us to better understand the universe as a whole. BL Lac is a very powerful object, and its emissions can travel vast distances through space. By studying BL Lac, we can learn more about the environment in which it resides and the conditions that are necessary for such powerful objects to exist.
The study of BL Lac is an ongoing process, and the astronomers involved in the study are excited to learn more about this mysterious object. The observations from the IAO and other telescopes have provided us with a wealth of new information, and the astronomers are confident that they will continue to learn more about BL Lac in the years to come.