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