When two galaxies merge, the supermassive black holes at their centres should eventually find each other and begin a gravitational dance that lasts millions of years. Despite decades of predictions, astronomers are still hunting for…
For the first time, astronomers have produced a radio image revealing two black holes orbiting each other, confirming long-suspected black hole pairs. The system sits at the core of quasar OJ287, where a supermassive black hole powers an…
Astronomers studying the supermassive black hole M87*, a behemoth six and a half billion times the mass of the Sun, have uncovered a new way these cosmic monsters unleash their power. Using cutting-edge simulations, scientists at Goethe…
Scientists have simulated how M87*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87, powers its immense particle jet. The Frankfurt team’s FPIC code shows that magnetic reconnection, where magnetic field lines snap and reform,…
At the center of the massive galaxy M87 lies the supermassive black hole M87*, weighing six and a half billion times the mass of the Sun and spinning rapidly on its axis. From this powerhouse, an enormous jet of charged particles blasts…
Scientists may have finally uncovered the mystery behind ultra-high-energy cosmic rays — the most powerful particles known in the universe. A team from NTNU suggests that colossal winds from supermassive black holes could be accelerating…
A black hole in a distant quasar is growing faster than the usual limit, according to Chandra observations. This may explain how the first supermassive black holes emerged. Astronomers have identified a black hole growing at one of the…
Astronomers have captured the clearest image ever of the vast, powerful jet of matter erupting from the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87).
Astronomers using JWST have captured the sharpest infrared view yet of the supermassive black hole jet in M87, offering new insights into its structure and physics.
Scientists have long been aware of the massive elliptical galaxy, M87. The galaxy was first observed in the late 18th century by Charles Messier, who cataloged objects in the sky specifically to avoid them when looking for comets. However,…
Black holes, regions of space where gravity is so intense that even light cannot escape, have captivated astronomers for decades. Some are the result of stellar death while others sit at the hearts of quasars, galaxies that shine so…
Black hole mergers are some of the most violent events in the universe. Just how violent is becoming more clear in part due to a new paper published in Nature Astronomy. For the first time, it tracks the “recoil” that the newly formed…
One of the most powerful black holes in the universe is belching out gas at speeds of up to 10,000 kilometers per second, making its estimated mass more than 10 times lower than first thought.