Black Holes

Black Hole Runs Out of Gas, Rapidly Dims its Galaxy

By Carolyn Collins Petersen - March 31, 2026

It's not often that astronomers can observe huge changes in a galaxy's brightness over the course of a few years. Most galaxies change in brightness (and other characteristics) over millions or billions of years. So, when images of the 10-billion-light-year distant galaxy J0218-0036 showed that it dimmed down by a twentieth of its previous brightness in just 20 years, observers were surprised. What could cause it to do that? That's not "normal" for AGN.

The JWST Finds More Overmassive Black Holes. This Time In Dwarf Galaxies

By Evan Gough - March 25, 2026

The JWST has shown us that supermassive black holes were much larger in the early Universe than we thought. New research has extended this understanding to more intermediate redshifts, and to dwarf galaxies. Could the often-invoked Super-Eddington accretion be responsible?

Black Hole Mergers Test the Limits of General Relativity

By Brian Koberlein - March 23, 2026

We can now use the gravitational waves of black holes to test general relativity and look for evidence of alternative theories of gravity.

Looking for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries with a Flash of Starlight

By Brian Koberlein - March 11, 2026

Supermassive black hole binaries can be difficult to detect in many galaxies, but a new approach could find them by looking for the regular flashes of starlight caused by the gravitational lensing of these black holes.

No Supernova Needed. This Star Collapsed Directly Into A Black Hole

By Evan Gough - February 19, 2026

Theory says that, under the right conditions, massive stars can collapse directly into black holes without exploding as supernovae. But observational evidence of the phenomenon has been hard to get. Now astronomers have found some sequestered in archival data.

How Supermassive Black Holes Stifle Star Formation In Neighbouring Galaxies

By Evan Gough - February 18, 2026

We know that supermassive black holes can inhibit star formation in their galaxies. But new research and JWST observations show that the most luminous quasars can actually suppress star formation in neighbouring galaxies. SMBH may have played a more pronounced role in shaping the early Universe than previously thought.

No Sign of Gravitational Waves From Single Supermassive Black Hole Binaries Yet

By Andy Tomaswick - February 13, 2026

The universe is a big place, and tracking down some of the more interesting parts of it is tricky. Some of the most interesting parts of it, at least from a physics perspective, are merging black holes, so scientists spend a lot of time trying to track those down. One of the most recent attempts to do so was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration. While they didn’t find any clear-cut evidence of continuous gravitational waves from merging black hole systems, they did manage to point out plenty of false alarms, and even disprove some myths about ones we thought actually existed.

Look Out Alderaan. This Black Hole Is More Destructive Than The Death Star

By Evan Gough - February 12, 2026

Several years ago, an automated sky survey spotted a distant supermassive black hole that tore apart a star. The star that got too close, and the resulting tidal disruption event released a lot of energy. But the SMBH is exhibiting a strong case of cosmic indigestion, and has been burping out the remains of the star for four years. And it keeps getting brighter and brighter.

Peering Into the Energetic Turbulence Around Supermassive Black Holes

By Evan Gough - February 10, 2026

Astronomers used the XRISM x-ray satellite to observe two supermassive black holes in two separate galaxy clusters. Researchers know that SMBH have powerful effects on star formation and galaxy evolution. The observations reveal new details in how it all works.

The Collaboration that Brought you the First Image of a Black Hole Just Released Photos of its Massive Jet

By Matthew Williams - February 06, 2026

Recently published data from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) of the galaxy Messier 87 facilitate new insights into the direct environment of the central supermassive black hole. Measured differences in the radio light on different spatial scales can be explained by the presence of an as of yet undetected jet at frequencies of 230 Gigahertz at spatial scales comparable to the size of the black hole. The most likely location of the jet base is determined through detailed modeling.

The "Little Red Dots" Observed by Webb Were Direct-Collapse Black Holes

By Matthew Williams - February 05, 2026

The discovery by JWST of a substantial population of compact "Little Red Dots" (LRDs) presented astronomers with a major mystery. By reproducing their spectra with simulations, a team argued that they were Direct Collapse Black Holes (DCBHs).

A Laser Ruler for Sharper Black Hole Images

By Mark Thompson - January 30, 2026

Researchers at KAIST have developed a breakthrough technology that could dramatically improve our ability to image black holes and other distant objects. The team created an ultra precise reference signal system using optical frequency comb lasers to synchronise multiple radio telescopes with unprecedented accuracy. This laser based approach solves long standing problems with phase calibration that have plagued traditional electronic methods, particularly at higher observation frequencies.

Intermittent Black Hole Jets Are Like A 'Cosmic Volcano'

By Evan Gough - January 27, 2026

Supermassive black holes grow larger by accreting matter. When they're actively accreting matter they're called active galactic nuclei (AGN). AGN are the most luminous sources of persistent radiation in the Universe, yet they turn on and off as the SMBH passes through quiet and active phases. Astronomers have found one that is just turning on its powerful jets after a long period of dormancy.

This Rapidly Growing Black Hole Is Challenging Super-Eddington Accretion

By Evan Gough - January 27, 2026

Why are SMBH in the early Universe so massive? According to astrophysical models, these extraordinarily large SMBH haven't had time to become so massive. Super-Eddington accretion might explain it, but can it explain a very unusual early SMBH recently discovered?

Radio Telescopes on the Moon Could Let Us Observe Dozens of Black Hole Shadows

By Brian Koberlein - January 21, 2026

The resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope is limited by the diameter of Earth, and our observations of the black hole in M87 and in our own galaxy are at the edge of that limit. To observe other, more distant black holes we will need radio telescopes on the Moon.

Astronomers Find that Black Holes "Seesaw" Between Ejecting Material as Winds or Jets

By Matthew Williams - January 19, 2026

Astronomers at the University of Warwick have discovered that black holes don’t just consume matter—they manage it, choosing whether to blast it into space as high-speed jets or sweep it away in vast winds.

A New Census of Dwarf Galaxies Shows More Massive Black Holes than Previously Thought

By Matthew Williams - January 17, 2026

A new census of more than 8,000 galaxies finds active black holes rising in frequency with galaxy mass, jumping sharply in galaxies similar in mass to the Milky Way.

A Supernova That Shouldn't Exist

By Mark Thompson - January 14, 2026

For decades, astronomers believed that the most massive stars in the universe lived fast and died quietly, collapsing directly into black holes without the spectacular fireworks of a supernova explosion. That understanding has been dramatically overturned by observations of SN 2022esa, a peculiar supernova that erupted from an incomprehensibly massive star and is now destined to become a black hole binary system.

Astronomers Discover the First Galaxy-Wide Wobbling Black Hole Jet

By Matthew Williams - January 12, 2026

Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island have uncovered the largest and most extended stream of super-heated gas ever observed flowing from a nearby galaxy, providing the clearest evidence yet that a supermassive black hole can dramatically reshape its host galaxy far beyond its core.

Few Cosmic Events Can Rival The Brightness Of This Black Hole Shredding A Star Apart

By Evan Gough - January 12, 2026

A distant black hole shredded a companion star that got too close. The star was torn to pieces and the explosion was an extremely powerful event, more energetic than a supernova. At its peak, the energy released was 400 billion times brighter than the Sun.

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