Astronomy Picture of the Day
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Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2014 July 7
J1502+1115: A Triple Black Hole Galaxy
Image Credit:
R. P. Deane
(U. Capetown)
et al.
Explanation:
Most galaxies contain one supermassive black hole -- why does this galaxy have three?
The likely reason is that galaxy
J1502+1115 is the product of the recent coalescence of three smaller galaxies.
The two closest black holes are
shown above resolved in
radio waves by
large coordinated array
of antennas spread out over Europe, Asia, and Africa.
These two
supermassive black holes
imaged are separated by about 500
light years
and each has a likely mass about 100 million times the mass of our Sun.
Currently, J1502+1115, at a
redshift of 0.39,
is one of only a few triple black hole system known and is
being studied
to learn more about galaxy and supermassive
black hole interaction rates during the
middle ages of our universe.
Gravitational radiation
emitted by such massive black hole systems may be detectable by
future
observatories.
Tomorrow's picture: above the peak
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MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (
UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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