How do supermassive black holes ‘feed’ themselves?

James Webb Space Telescope Uncovers How Black Holes Keep Feeding Themselves

Astronomers have discovered new clues about how supermassive black holes continue to grow, even after releasing huge amounts of energy into space. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers observed this process in the galaxy NGC 4696, located about 145 million light-years from Earth.

Scientists found that gas cools over time and forms long, thin filaments that flow back toward the black hole. The gas then gathers into a fast-spinning disk around the black hole before finally being pulled inside. This creates a natural cycle where the black hole powers powerful jets, the gas cools, and the same gas later feeds the black hole again.

The researchers also discovered that the spinning gas disk is connected to one of these large gas filaments. This gave astronomers one of the clearest views yet of how material travels from the outer parts of a galaxy all the way into a supermassive black hole. Until now, this important link had been difficult to observe directly.

The new observations provide some of the strongest evidence yet of this self-sustaining process, helping solve a mystery that has challenged astronomers for decades. Researchers say the discovery will improve our understanding of how black holes grow and how they influence the formation and evolution of galaxies across the universe.