Close-knit pairs of supermassive black holes discovered in merging galaxies
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - 14:21
in Astronomy & Space
Astronomers have discovered 16 close-knit pairs of supermassive black holes in merging galaxies. These black-hole pairs, also called binaries, are about a hundred to a thousand times closer together than most that have been observed before, providing astronomers a glimpse into how these behemoths and their host galaxies merge -- a crucial part of understanding the evolution of the universe.