If you think our corner of the galaxy is in terrible shape—inhabited by dwarf planets and so far occupied by a single sentient species—wait until you hear about a distant neighbor, NGC 3842. They got it so bad over at their place, that scientists are mopping their brows of anxious sweat as they pore over the data about NGC 3842, which is blighted by a black hole. The problem is it’s a really huge black hole capable of sucking entire solar systems. Gah!
The Enormity of NGC 3842’s Black Hole
The black hole at the center of NGC 3842 is not just any black hole; it’s a supermassive black hole. Supermassive black holes are the largest type of black holes, with masses ranging from hundreds of thousands to billions of times the mass of our Sun. The one in NGC 3842 is particularly noteworthy because of its sheer size and the gravitational influence it exerts on its surroundings. Scientists have been able to determine its mass by observing the motion of stars and gas clouds orbiting around it. The gravitational pull of such a massive black hole can distort space-time and affect the orbits of nearby celestial bodies, making it a fascinating subject of study.
NGC 4889: The Ultimate Black Hole
If NGC 3842 is bad news, then NGC 4889 is even scarier. Scientists from University of California-Berkeley were able to calculate its weight via two Earth-based observatories. They did so by noting the speed of the stars on its periphery, which is indicative of the black hole’s gravitational pull. The staggering scale they reached was: NGC 4889 is 21 billion solar masses, which is the largest so far in any conceivable records of black holes.
The black hole in NGC 4889 is so massive that it defies easy comprehension. To put it into perspective, our Milky Way galaxy’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*, is about 4 million solar masses. This means that NGC 4889’s black hole is over 5,000 times more massive. The gravitational forces at play in such a system are immense, capable of influencing not just nearby stars but entire galaxies. The discovery of such a massive black hole challenges our understanding of how these cosmic giants form and evolve over time.
The implications of these discoveries are profound. Black holes of this magnitude can have significant effects on their host galaxies. They can regulate star formation, influence the distribution of gas and dust, and even affect the overall shape and structure of the galaxy. Understanding these supermassive black holes helps scientists piece together the history and evolution of galaxies across the universe.
For the whole scoop on this awesome twin discovery, catch the upcoming issue of Nature.
Source Popular Science
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