Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Runaway Stars Reveal Hidden Black Hole In Milky Way’s Nearest Neighbor


Cambridge, MA - Astronomers have discovered strong evidence for the closest supermassive black hole outside of the Milky Way galaxy. This giant black hole is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the nearest galactic neighbors to our own.To make this discovery, researchers traced the paths with ultra-fine precision of 21 stars on the outskirts of the Milky Way. These stars are traveling so fast that they will escape the gravitational clutches of the Milky Way or any nearby galaxy. Astronomers refer to these as "hypervelocity" stars.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on r/Space

Read more on:

Photo of Runaway stars

Runaway stars

Photo of neighbor

neighbor

Photo of Milky Way

Milky Way

Related news:

News photo

Astronomers Used a Fast Radio Burst to Probe the Structure of the Milky Way

News photo

A New Survey of the Milky Way Reveals Billions of Objects, Helping to Map Our Surroundings in Three Dimensions

News photo

According to Simulations, the Milky Way is One in a Million