Astronomers have spotted displays of flashing lights and “fireworks” near a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, a finding researchers said could reveal details about how black holes—among the most mysterious objects in space—behave and interact with their environment.

The James Webb Space Telescope has shown that the Milky Way’s black hole is constantly blazing with light, releasing long flares as well as short flashes every day.

Astronomer Yusef-Zadeh explained that flares are expected in all supermassive black holes, but Sagittarius A is unique. Unlike others, it is constantly active and never settles into a steady state. Observations made throughout 2023 and 2024 revealed changes every time, with each viewing showing something new.

A new James Webb Space Telescope study finds that Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's central black hole, constantly emits light from its swirling accretion disk. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Ralf Crawford (STScI) illustration Scientists have discovered that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way buzzes with activity,

Observations revealed ongoing fireworks featuring short bursts and longer flares. Imagine solar flares, but magnified to an unimaginable scale — a continuous sparkle bright enough to shine across 26,000 light-years of space.

The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy may not be as voracious as the gas-gobbling monsters that astronomers have seen farther out in the Universe, but new findings from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveal that its surroundings are flaring with fireworks.