Sci/Tech New Supermassive Black Hole, Abell 1201, Weighs 30 Billion Times Our Sun

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,633
At the center of the Abell 1201 cluster resides a huge elliptical galaxy, and at its center sits a supermassive black hole. Previous analysis suggested that the object was big – bigger than most known black holes. The latest one places among the biggest objects in the universe, bigger than certain galaxies. It has an estimated mass of 32 billion (plus or minus two) times that of the Sun.

It is difficult to put that into context. One of the biggest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud has a mass of 6.5 billion solar masses. That singular black hole is five times as heavy.

“This particular black hole, which is roughly 30 billion times the mass of our Sun, is one of the biggest ever detected and on the upper limit of how large we believe black holes can theoretically become, so it is an extremely exciting discovery,” lead author Dr James Nightingale, Department of Physics, Durham University, said in a statement.

Observing black holes is not easy. It's not a misnomer that they are called "black" – nothing escapes them, not even light, so researchers have to observe what goes on around them. It is possible to see gravitational waves from small ones merging, or radio waves from the closest region around them, as was the case for the one in the Milky Way. They can be spotted if they are actively feeding, as their incredible gravitational pull can heat up material so much it shines in x-rays.

The method used here is different. Researchers were simulating the effect produced by gravitational lenses, how a massive object such as a galaxy or a cluster of galaxies can warp space-time. This warp can magnify background objects and it is very useful for studying things that are very far away, such as the most distant single-star system.


Scientific paper:


For context, there are some supermassive black holes found elsewhere, so it's not the biggest we have.

lTvbWPd.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.

      The Helper Discord

      Members online

      No members online now.

      Affiliates

      Hive Workshop NUON Dome World Editor Tutorials

      Network Sponsors

      Apex Steel Pipe - Buys and sells Steel Pipe.
      Top