Supermassive Black Hole Discovered - Researchers say they’ve found a black hole that is far larger than current scientific theories allow.
The black hole was detected at the center of the newly discovered galaxy known as SAGE0536AGN, which was found with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.
Astronomers at Keele University and the University of Central Lancashire conducted the research, which will be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
According to a press release from the Royal Astronomical Society, the scientific data collected by the researchers indicates the black hole is 30 times larger than expected for a galaxy of this size.
The black hole was confirmed by measuring the speed of the swirling gas around it, according to the research team. The size of the black hole was determined by using the Southern African Large Telescope, according to reports.
Keele University astrophysicist Dr. Jacco van Loon was quoted by CNN as saying, “Galaxies have a vast mass, and so do the black holes in their cores. This one though is really too big for its boots — it simply shouldn’t be possible for it to be so large.”
The scientists are unsure as to whether the black hole just grew much faster than the galaxy around it, or if for some reason the galaxy’s growth was prematurely stopped.
They aren’t certain whether this galaxy is just a fluke or if they’ve discovered a new class of galaxies.
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