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.

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have taken a detailed look at the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*. They found that the swirling disk of gas and dust around it constantly emits flares.

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.