Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active
Friday, June 10, 2011 - 19:30
in Astronomy & Space
A study using NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 light-years separate the two cores, each of which contains a black hole gorging on infalling gas.