B Ultramassive Black Hole (UMB), 30 billion solar masses?

[Astronuc]

Paris (AFP) – One of the largest black holes ever recorded has been discovered using a new technique that could spot thousands more of the insatiable celestial monsters in the coming years, according to astronomers.

The ultramassive black hole, one of just four ever observed, is more than 30 billion times the mass of the Sun, a new study said.

It is the first black hole ever observed using a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, in which light travelling towards us from a distant galaxy appears to magnify and bend inwards, giving away the presence of a dark giant.

James Nightingale, an astronomer at the UK's Durham University and the study's lead author, told AFP the process was "similar to shining light through the base of a wine glass".

https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...over-one-of-biggest-black-holes-ever-recorded

There are currently around 500 known gravitational lenses -- at least one of which we now know is a supermassive black hole.

But "the landscape is about to dramatically change," Nightingale said.

The European Space Agency's Euclid mission, planned to launch into space in July, will open a "big data era" for black hole hunters by creating a huge high resolution map of the universe, he said.

In the next six years Euclid could find 100,000 new gravitational lenses, which would potentially point towards thousands of previously hidden black holes, Nightingale added.

https://universe.nasa.gov/black-holes/types/ - didn't find this very helpful

ESA Euclid mission overview - https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid_overview (to be launched July 2023)

 

[sbrothy]

https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...over-one-of-biggest-black-holes-ever-recorded
https://universe.nasa.gov/black-holes/types/ - didn't find this very helpful

ESA Euclid mission overview - https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid_overview (to be launched July 2023)

How fast is it rotating..?

 

[pinball1970]

Discovered by researchers in Durham. News item below.

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/ultr...the-sun-discovered-by-uk-astronomers-12844649

"Lead author Dr James Nightingale, of the Department of Physics at Durham University, said: "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"

No link to the paper but some of the graphics in Physics Org here https://phys.org/news/2023-03-light-bending-gravity-reveals-biggest-black.html

Moderators Note: 2nd link fixed with correct URL.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Is it the largest or one of the largest?

 

[pinball1970]

Is it the largest or one of the largest?

Title adjusted, thanks. I am reading around methods of measurement and some of the other black holes discovered.
Durham paper here.

https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/521/3/3298/7085506?login=false