Three feeding supermassive black holes found in one distant galaxy

The short version

• Astronomers report three actively feeding supermassive black holes in galaxy J0148-4214, more than 12.5 billion light-years from Earth.[ScienceDaily]
• Two black holes sit near the galaxy's center, 620 light-years apart in projection, and are expected to merge within a few hundred million years. The third lies about 5,500 light-years from the center.[ScienceDaily]
• One smaller black hole's estimated feeding rate exceeds basic growth models, based on the researchers' calculations. The third black hole's origin remains uncertain and may be a merger remnant.[ScienceDaily]

Key facts

• Astronomers have identified three actively feeding supermassive black holes in galaxy J0148-4214, more than 12.5 billion light-years from Earth.[ScienceDaily]
• Two of the black holes lie near the galaxy's center, separated by a projected distance of 620 light-years.[ScienceDaily]
• The two central black holes are expected to merge within the next few hundred million years.[ScienceDaily]
• The third black hole lies approximately 5,500 light-years from the galaxy's center.[ScienceDaily]
• According to the researchers' calculations, the masses are approximately 80 million, 600,000, and 2 million times that of the Sun.[ScienceDaily]
• The estimated feeding rate of a smaller black hole exceeds the maximum predicted by basic models of black hole growth.[ScienceDaily]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Three giant black holes discovered in a galaxy from the dawn of timeScienceDaily - Science