Researchers from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in the United States, teaming up with Italian colleagues, have identified two supermassive black holes that sit unusually close to one another by cosmic standards. Scientists describe this configuration as a dramatic, clash-like pairing, likening the proximity to a brief, intense duel between two heavyweights. The findings are published in a leading astrophysical journal.
Observations from space-based telescopes reveal that the pair lies only about 300 light-years apart, a distance far smaller than seen in most similar systems. This tight arrangement offers a rare glimpse into the late stages of galactic evolution when two massive bodies are drawing near their final dance before a merger.
The system, nicknamed Sumo Clash, resides in the gas-rich galaxy MCG-03-34-64, situated roughly 800 million light-years from Earth. The team recorded three prominent peaks in optical brightness within the galaxy. Two of these peaks align with the glow from material swirling around each black hole, while a third light source remains unexplained. Researchers propose that this additional light could arise from gas heated by a jet of plasma streaming from one of the black holes.
Astronomers explain that the observed black holes likely began life at the centers of their original galaxies. Following a galactic merger, their cores found themselves in close proximity. Over the next several tens of millions of years, gravitational attraction will drive the pair toward a final coalescence. When the black holes merge, they are expected to emit powerful gravitational waves that ripple through space and time, offering a direct imprint of this cosmic union.
Previously, scientists have made progress in unraveling the mysteries surrounding the merger of supermassive black holes, shedding light on the complex dynamics that govern these extreme systems and their role in shaping their host galaxies. { notes}.