Recent discoveries about black holes, including intermediate types and plasma jets, transform our cosmic understanding.
NASA's animation showcases the immense scale of supermassive black holes at galaxy centers
Photo Credit: NASA
Black holes, known for their unmatched gravitational force and mysterious characteristics, remain a focal point of scientific exploration. This year brought remarkable discoveries, advancing the understanding of black holes' role in shaping galaxies and their enigmatic behaviours. From the detection of an intermediate black hole to uncovering plasma jets spanning millions of light-years, these findings have captured global attention.
Below is a detailed account of these significant developments as reported by Live Science.
A black hole candidate located in the IRS 13 star cluster, near the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, could represent a rare "missing link." Scientists believe confirming its existence would provide crucial insights into how smaller black holes evolve into their supermassive counterparts.
A black hole named Porphyrion was discovered ejecting plasma jets that span an astonishing 23 million light-years. Equivalent to 140 Milky Way galaxies laid end to end, these jets are among the largest structures ever observed and highlight black holes' extraordinary ability to shape their cosmic environment.
Researchers have unravelled the mystery behind periodic light pulses detected in X-ray flares emitted by black holes. The signals, resembling a heartbeat, are thought to result from shock waves travelling through material consumed by the black hole, providing a glimpse into the physics of their feeding process.
The Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*, exhibits a peculiar rotational axis. Observations by the Event Horizon Telescope suggest this odd spin resulted from a massive collision between two black holes, offering evidence of such events in galactic centres.
Astronomers observed a previously dormant black hole springing back to life, likely due to new material being drawn in. While such reactivations are rare, they provide a rare opportunity to study how black holes transition between states of activity.
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