In a cosmic game of pinball, black holes fling high-energy protons into space, where they zigzag around at near light-speeds before smashing into low-energy protons, finds a new study. Then the collisions send bursts of gamma rays flying out from the center of our galaxy, which explains for the first time the mechanism for the high-energy jets first spotted in 2004. This proton-slinging could explain more than this cataclysmic light show deep in our galaxy. The scientists suggest other black holes in the universe could rely on the pinball mechanism to produce enormous jets of light. "Our galaxy's central supermassive object has been a constant source of surprise ever since its discovery some 30 years ago," said study team member Fulvio Melia, an astrophysicist at the University of Arizona (UA). "Slowly but surely it has become the best-studied and most compelling black hole in the universe," Melia said. "Now we're even finding that its apparent quietness over much of the spectrum belies the real power it generates a mere breath above its event horizon--the point of no return."

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