Brighter than galaxies
Matter spirals into accretion disks, heats to X‑ray‑hot plasma, and blazes. Some systems outshine their entire galaxy.Black Holes: Accretion and Jets—Nature’s Brightest Engines
Extreme efficiency
As gas falls inward, up to 42% of its mass converts to energy before it plunges past the last stable orbit.Black Holes: Accretion and Jets—Nature’s Brightest Engines
