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Recently, scientists observed the most luminous flare ever detected from a supermassive black hole, shining with the light equivalent to 10 trillion suns. This flare, likely caused by a massive star being shredded by the black hole, enhances understanding of these massive objects. 
 
Key facts about supermassive black holes

• Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are the largest type of black holes, with masses ranging from hundreds of thousands to billions of times the mass of our Sun.​
• They are typically found at the centers of large galaxies, including the Milky Way, which hosts Sagittarius A*, a SMBH of about 4 million solar masses.​
• The tidal forces near the event horizon of SMBHs are much weaker than those of smaller black holes, meaning one would not be torn apart until well inside the event horizon.​
• The density of SMBHs can be surprisingly low, sometimes less than that of water, owing to their enormous size and the relationship between mass and Schwarzschild radius.​
• SMBHs emit enormous energy by converting gravitational energy into light, observed in quasars and bright flares when matter falls into them.​
• Some SMBHs are extremely massive, for example, black holes with masses of over 10 billion solar masses have been observed in some galaxies.​
• The formation of SMBHs is still not fully understood; theories include collapse of massive gas clouds, merging of many smaller black holes, or growth by consumption of stars and other matter.​
• SMBHs can grow by feeding on smaller objects and merging with other black holes when galaxies collide.​
• The largest black hole flares recorded can be billions of times more energetic than the Sun, observed as stars get devoured by SMBHs.​
• Not all galaxies have SMBHs; some large galaxies might lack a visible SMBH or have one that is inactive and thus harder to detect.

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