Strange x-ray pulses hint at a surprisingly long-lived white dwarf orbiting precariously close to a supermassive black hole

A black hole infamous for strange features has once again baffled astronomers, this time with rapid X-ray flashes. What could they be?

Most picture the night sky as an endless sea of twinkling stars. But if your eyes could see the universe in X-rays, you’d spot thousands upon thousands of bright points representing giant black holes feeding on gas and dust.