Black Holes
A Solution to the “Final Parsec Problem?”
Supermassive Black Holes are Nature's confounding behemoths. It's difficult for Earth-bound minds to comprehend their magnitude and power. Astrophysicists have…
Next Generation Event Horizon Telescope To Unlock Mysteries of Black Holes
The prospect of actually resolving the event horizon of black holes feels like the stuff of science fiction yet it…
Black Holes Dominate Large Regions of Space, But They’re Mysterious
In the beginning, the Universe was all primordial gas. Somehow, some of it was swept up into supermassive black holes…
What’s Next for the Event Horizon Telescope? Twelve Possible New Targets
Both the Milky Way and a galaxy known as M87 have supermassive black holes at their core. These are the…
Galaxies Filled With Old Stars Seen Shortly After the Big Bang
How can young galaxies in the early Universe have ancient stars? That's the question a team of astronomers set out…
Earliest Supermassive Black Holes Were “Shockingly Normal”
The early Universe is a puzzling and—in many ways—still-unknown place. The first billion years of cosmic history saw the explosive…
Black Hole Bullies Shut Down Star Formation in Their Galaxies
A supermassive black hole in the heart of a galaxy is the ultimate 800-pound gorilla of astrophysics. Not only do…
Another Strike Against Primordial Black Holes as an Explanation for Dark Matter
The quest to understand dark matter has taken many twists and turns. It's a scientific tale but also a human…
Growing Black Holes Have Much in Common With Baby Stars
First looks would tell most observers that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and very young stars have nothing in common. But…
Astronomers See a Black Hole Wake Up from its Ancient Slumber
Four years ago, the supermassive black hole hidden in the heart of galaxy SDSS1335+0728 roared awake and announced its presence…