Scientists from the United States have discovered a rare phenomenon – a moving black hole, it is located in the center of the galaxy J0437 + 2456. Its mass is about three million times that of our Sun.
Scientists knew that supermassive black holes could wander through space, but fixing them in motion is not easy. Now researchers at the Center for Astrophysics in the United States have identified the most striking case when a supermassive black hole is in motion. The results of their research appeared in the scientific publication Astrophysical Journal.
“We do not expect most black holes to be in motion; usually, on the contrary, they are in one place. However, they are so heavy that it is difficult to get them to move. Think how much more difficult it is to kick a bowling ball rather than a soccer ball, ”the researchers noted.
When studied with a combined network of radio antennas using a technique known as very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), the devices can help measure the speed of a black hole very accurately, the researchers said.
The technique also helped the team determine that nine out of ten supermassive black holes are dormant, but one of them stands out and appears to be in motion. Located 230 million light years from Earth, the black hole sits at the center of a galaxy called J0437 + 2456. Its mass is about three million times that of our Sun.
Using follow-up observations, the team validated their original theory.
