supermassive black hole

Latest about supermassive black hole

NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected the five most distant gamma-ray blazars ever (their locations are seen here in a NASA video still). The light from the blazars dates back to when the universe was between 1.9 and 1.4 billion years old.

These Powerful Blazars Are the Most Distant Ever Seen

By Sarah Lewin published 31 January 17

Monster black holes shooting jets of gamma-ray radiation right at us have been spotted farther away than ever before, dating back to when the universe was nearly one-tenth its current age.

Astronomy

Black Holes Regurgitate 'Spitballs' After Devouring Stars

By Samantha Mathewson published 12 January 17

Black Holes

What Tangled Web: Galaxy's Messy 'Threads' Star in New Pic

By Samantha Mathewson published 5 December 16

A striking new image from the Hubble Space Telescope captures an extremely detailed view of the galaxy NGC 4696 and the tangled, thread-like filaments stretching from its bright galactic core.

Cosmology

Galaxy Stirring Revealed by Doomed Japanese Spacecraft

By Nola Taylor Redd published 6 July 16

Before it died, Japan's Hitomi satellite revealed surprising insights about how black holes stir up gas inside enormous collections of galaxies.

Space Exploration

In this artist's rendering, a disk of material has formed around a supermassive black hole after a star was shredded by the cosmic beast. The material heats up as it falls toward the black hole, and flashes of X-ray light near the center of the disk resu

Sleeping Black Hole Awakens to Devour Doomed Star

By Charles Q. Choi published 24 June 16

A sleeping giant at the center of a galaxy has awoken: A normally dormant, monster black hole has been found shredding a star that ventured too close to the cosmic beast.

Black Holes