Brightest Space Explosion Caused by Birth of Black Hole

Scientists have determined that the brightest space explosion ever seen, nicknamed the BOAT, was caused by a structured jet carrying massive amounts of exploded star guts pointing directly at Earth. The gamma-ray burst produced by the collapse of a massive star contained a narrow, structured jet surrounded by a wider outflow of gas, which is unexpected according to current models. The findings have implications for our understanding of the formation of black holes and how the brightest explosions in the Universe take place.