Astronomers at the University of Hawaii uncovered black hole events so packed with energy, they were the biggest explosions seen since the Big Bang.

One of the papers, published last year, describes the simulated results of quakes on the surface of neutron stars before they are swallowed by black holes. The other paper, published at the end of March, dove into the “black hole pulsars” and monster shockwaves produced by the violence.

Astronomers captured the universe’s brightest, longest-lasting stellar explosions, where massive stars are torn apart by black holes.