Astronomers have discovered two closely bound supermassive black holes as two galaxies merge, which is the first confirmed detection of a pair of close supermassive black holes during the “cosmic noon”. This galactic merger happened when the universe was three billion years old, but the light is just reaching us now. The merger of the two galaxies is feeding the two black holes, making them light up brighter than the galaxies themselves. Mergers trigger bursts of rapid star formation and fuel the supermassive black holes at their centre, turning them into extremely bright quasars that outshine the rest of the galaxy.
As reported in a recent article from the Indian Express, astronomers have discovered two closely bound supermassive black holes as two galaxies merge. This galactic merger actually happened when the universe was three billion years old, but the light is just reaching us now.
The merger of the two galaxies is feeding the two black holes, making them light up brighter than the galaxies themselves. This new discovery is the first confirmed detection of a pair of close supermassive black holes during the “cosmic noon,” which was an early period in the universe’s history characterised by bursts of frantic star formation.
Galaxies sometimes merge with other galaxies, putting together their billions of stars to grow and evolve. These mergers trigger bursts of (relatively) rapid star formation. Mergers also fuel the supermassive black holes at their centre, turning them into extremely bright quasars that outshine the rest of the galaxy.
Some of these mergers eventually go on to become massive elliptical galaxies containing black holes that are many billion times the mass of our Sun.
This new discovery is significant in that it provides astronomers with a better understanding of how galaxies and their central black holes evolve over time. As more and more black holes are detected, astronomers will be able to piece together a more complete picture of the universe and its history.
While this news is certainly exciting, it is important to remember that there is still much we don’t know about the universe. As technology continues to improve, astronomers will be able to detect more and more black holes, shedding light on the mysteries of the cosmos.
In the meantime, it is clear that black holes play a critical role in the evolution of galaxies. They are the engines that drive the growth and evolution of the universe, and their study will continue to be an important area of research for years to come.
So while we may never fully understand the universe, we can take comfort in the fact that we are making progress. With each new discovery, we move one step closer to unlocking the secrets of the cosmos and understanding our place in the universe.
