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Science

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Judi Lynn

(163,714 posts)
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 02:49 PM Feb 2023

'Runaway' black hole the size of 20 million suns found speeding through space with a trail of newbor [View all]

'Runaway' black hole the size of 20 million suns found speeding through space with a trail of newborn stars behind it

By Robert Lea published about 20 hours ago

Astronomers have discovered a "runaway" black hole, potentially the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes can be ejected from their host galaxies.



An illustration showing a black hole being ejected from a galaxy's center, as a trail of brightly glowing gas follows behind (Image credit: Keio University)


Astronomers have spotted a runaway supermassive black hole, seemingly ejected from its home galaxy and racing through space with a chain of stars trailing in its wake.

According to the team's research, which was published on the pre-print server arXiv.org(opens in new tab) and has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the discovery offers the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes can be ejected from their home galaxies to roam interstellar space.

The researchers discovered the runaway black hole as a bright streak of light while they were using the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the dwarf galaxy RCP 28, located about 7.5 billion light-years from Earth.

According to the team's research, which was published on the pre-print server arXiv.org(opens in new tab) and has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the discovery offers the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes can be ejected from their home galaxies to roam interstellar space.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/runaway-black-hole-the-size-of-20-million-suns-found-speeding-through-space-with-a-trail-of-newborn-stars-behind-it

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Cool! calimary Feb 2023 #1
Damn, and all this time, I thought they were stationary. Ferrets are Cool Feb 2023 #2
Most likely that galaxy had three or more of them localroger Feb 2023 #11
Thank you. Ferrets are Cool Feb 2023 #19
And that black hole may have wandered into a nice and stable galaxy and caused cosmic mayhem erronis Feb 2024 #24
Two is company, three is a crowd. LastDemocratInSC Feb 2024 #29
And we are worried about asteroids and balloons. Sneederbunk Feb 2023 #3
Possibly referring to its mass? Frasier Balzov Feb 2024 #26
Utterly fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing. niyad Feb 2023 #4
IS IT HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US ? dweller Feb 2023 #5
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Feb 2023 #22
The 'so-called' Big Bang is not a one time event sanatanadharma Feb 2023 #6
Puts some things into perspective doesn't it?? NoMoreRepugs Feb 2023 #7
Speak for yourself! Jerry2144 Feb 2023 #13
It must have done something really bad Wednesdays Feb 2023 #8
It just got mixed with the wrong, um, people....... lastlib Feb 2023 #18
It's young, refused to eat it's vegetables KS Toronado Feb 2023 #21
That's what the republican party needs. Turbineguy Feb 2023 #9
Very cool! WestMichRad Feb 2023 #10
Many of those odd shapes LastDemocratInSC Feb 2024 #30
That makes me weirdly happy! Easterncedar Feb 2023 #12
I can think of a few supermassive black holes I'd like to see ejected from our galaxy... n/t TygrBright Feb 2023 #14
I'm with you. MontanaMama Feb 2023 #15
(um, you're thinking of supermassive ASS-holes......) lastlib Feb 2023 #20
got the boot eh? AllaN01Bear Feb 2023 #16
Are we witnessing the birth of another galaxy? patphil Feb 2023 #17
Astronomers spotted a rogue supermassive black hole tearing through space Judi Lynn Feb 2023 #23
Thanks for the thread and the above sub, yonder Feb 2024 #28
Imagine intelligent life forming around one of the stars... Silent3 Feb 2024 #25
You always bring the coolest stuff here! Permanut Feb 2024 #27
Poor baby will fizzle out and die. GreenWave Feb 2024 #31
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