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Judi Lynn

(162,376 posts)
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 01:49 PM Feb 2023

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

'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

31 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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'Runaway' black hole the size of 20 million suns found speeding through space with a trail of newbor (Original Post) Judi Lynn Feb 2023 OP
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

localroger

(3,706 posts)
11. Most likely that galaxy had three or more of them
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 02:42 PM
Feb 2023

Two would probably form a stable orbit and eventually spiral into one another, but three body dynamics are unstable and a hyperbolic ejection like this would almost be inevitable.

erronis

(16,827 posts)
24. And that black hole may have wandered into a nice and stable galaxy and caused cosmic mayhem
Tue Feb 13, 2024, 05:00 PM
Feb 2024

I think I've read that their are lots of these things wandering through the universe.

I'm glad I live in the time-scale I do (50-100 years of life) because I wouldn't want to be part of one of these types of events.

Sneederbunk

(15,106 posts)
3. And we are worried about asteroids and balloons.
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 01:59 PM
Feb 2023

You got me with the 20 million suns. That's huge. That's really big.

Response to dweller (Reply #5)

sanatanadharma

(4,074 posts)
6. The 'so-called' Big Bang is not a one time event
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 02:06 PM
Feb 2023

Universe busting galaxies simply demonstrate the limitations of human thinking.

The causally unnecessary epiphenomena of finite 'consciousness' seeks to 'know' the total.

A worthy, but infinite pursuit of knowing the finite.

lastlib

(24,905 posts)
18. It just got mixed with the wrong, um, people.......
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 04:45 PM
Feb 2023

Actually, with other big black holes--they threw it out when it got going too fast around them. (Something like that.....)

WestMichRad

(1,810 posts)
10. Very cool!
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 02:28 PM
Feb 2023

I wonder if this phenomenon is responsible for some of the odd shapes of nebulae and galaxies?

LastDemocratInSC

(3,829 posts)
30. Many of those odd shapes
Thu Feb 15, 2024, 06:33 AM
Feb 2024

are the results of galaxies merging, or having "near misses" with each other. Our galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are destined for a merger in about 4 billion years.

Easterncedar

(3,521 posts)
12. That makes me weirdly happy!
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 03:13 PM
Feb 2023

The exciting strangeness and drama beyond us puts our troubles in a different perspective for me. It helps, Judi Lynn, thank you!

lastlib

(24,905 posts)
20. (um, you're thinking of supermassive ASS-holes......)
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 04:47 PM
Feb 2023

Easy to do--I've had that same thought a few times.

patphil

(6,941 posts)
17. Are we witnessing the birth of another galaxy?
Wed Feb 22, 2023, 04:23 PM
Feb 2023

Could it be that these black holes give birth to Suns, instead of consuming them?

Judi Lynn

(162,376 posts)
23. Astronomers spotted a rogue supermassive black hole tearing through space
Sat Feb 25, 2023, 04:13 AM
Feb 2023

Along the way, the giant is creating shock waves and triggering star formation.

FEBRUARY 25, 2023 11:47 IST

BY
AMIT MALEWAR



There is evidence of a rogue Supermassive black hole ripping through space and interacting with the circumgalactic medium, according to researchers from Canada, Australia, and the United States (CGM.) The giant is also causing shock waves and starting star formation.

Identifying runway SMBHs is of obvious interest but difficult. There are several ways for a supermassive black hole (SMBH) to escape from the center of a galaxy. The first step is always a galaxy merger, forming a binary SMBH. If a third SMBH reaches the galaxy’s center before the binary merges, a three-body interaction can impart a large velocity to one of the SMBHs leading to its escape from the nucleus.

However, despite their theoretical foundations, it is challenging to locate these rogue SMBHs. In 2021, astronomers discovered one of the top contenders, 230 million light-years distant.

The authors saw unusual movement and speed, indicating a recent disruption. However, they could not determine whether they had witnessed a gravitational wave recoil event, a double black hole system, or an ongoing galaxy merger.

More:
https://www.techexplorist.com/rogue-supermassive-black-hole-tearing-space/57147/

yonder

(10,002 posts)
28. Thanks for the thread and the above sub,
Thu Feb 15, 2024, 03:48 AM
Feb 2024

as well as the nod to the Python gang. Cool stuff then a good chuckle.

 

Silent3

(15,909 posts)
25. Imagine intelligent life forming around one of the stars...
Thu Feb 15, 2024, 02:28 AM
Feb 2024

...trailing along behind this monster trying to make sense of the universe from that bizarre perspective.

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