https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...over-one-of-biggest-black-holes-ever-recordedParis (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".
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.
Astronuc said: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)
Title adjusted, thanks. I am reading around methods of measurement and some of the other black holes discovered.Vanadium 50 said:Is it the largest or one of the largest?
An Ultramassive Black Hole (UMB) is a black hole with a mass exceeding 10 billion times the mass of the Sun. These are among the largest and most massive black holes known to exist in the universe, often found at the centers of large galaxies.
The exact formation mechanisms of Ultramassive Black Holes are not fully understood, but they likely involve the mergers of smaller black holes and the accretion of vast amounts of matter over billions of years. Some theories suggest they could have formed from the direct collapse of massive gas clouds in the early universe.
Ultramassive Black Holes are typically located at the centers of massive galaxies, particularly in galaxy clusters. They are often found in the cores of giant elliptical galaxies and some of the most massive spiral galaxies.
A black hole with 30 billion solar masses is significant because it represents one of the most extreme cases of black hole growth and mass accumulation. Studying such massive black holes helps astronomers understand the limits of black hole formation and growth, as well as the dynamics of the galaxies and galaxy clusters they inhabit.
Scientists detect and study Ultramassive Black Holes using a variety of methods, including observing the motion of stars and gas clouds orbiting the black hole, detecting high-energy radiation from the accretion disk, and using gravitational lensing effects. Telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Event Horizon Telescope have provided valuable data on these cosmic giants.