supermassive black holes – Astronomy Now

Small black holes in colliding dwarf galaxies may be source of gravity waves

27 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Merging low-mass dwarf galaxies in the distant past could lead black hole collisions that would generate the sort of gravity waves detected to date.

Astronomers find more bizarre objects orbiting Milky Way’s black hole

16 January 2020 Astronomy Now

Strange objects orbiting the Milky Way’s central black hole appear to be binary stars that were forced to merge under the influence of the hole’s gravity.

Supermassive black holes feast on vast reservoirs of hydrogen

30 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found a likely source of “food” – vast reservoirs of hydrogen – fueling the growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe

Record-setting ultra-massive black hole found at heart of galaxy cluster

5 December 2019 Astronomy Now

The central elliptical galaxy in a cluster 700 million light years away harbours a record-setting black hole with the mass of 40 billion Suns.

Scientists conclude planets possible around supermassive black holes

2 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers theorize supermassive black holes at the hearts of many if not all large galaxies could host thousands of large planets out to distances up to 10 light years.

Milky Way’s central black hole flings star out of galaxy

13 November 2019 Astronomy Now

A star has been spotted racing out of the Milky Way at more than 6 million kph after a close encounter with the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole.

Astronomers spot three supermassive black holes on collision course

30 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers using X-ray, optical and infrared telescopes have spotted three galaxies – hosting three supermassive black holes – in the process of merging.

Caught in the act: galaxies turning into quasars

19 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have caught normally mild-mannered galaxies in the process of turning into quasars, a faster-than-expected transition that flies in the face of current theory.

Milky Way’s central black hole flares as it feasts

14 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers monitoring the supermassive black hole at the core of the Milky Way have noted three unprecedented flare ups this year as it gobbles stellar debris.

Hubble studies effects of monster black hole

5 September 2019 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope observes the relativistic effects of a supermassive black hole at the heart of a face-on spiral galaxy where material in the core is whipping around at 10 percent the speed of light.