Astronomical black holes are compact astrophysical systems characterized by regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that no matter or radiation can escape beyond the event horizon. They are described by solutions to Einstein’s field equations, typically approximated by the Kerr or Schwarzschild metrics, and are defined by mass, spin, and (negligible) charge. Formed primarily via stellar core collapse or hierarchical mergers, they interact with their environments through accretion disks, relativistic jets, and gravitational-wave emission. Astronomical black holes span stellar-mass to supermassive regimes, influencing galactic dynamics, high-energy radiation processes, and cosmological structure formation.
For the first time, scientists have the calculations and simulations to explain mysterious flashes from the galaxy OJ 287. Roughly twice every 12 years, from 3.5 billion light years away, the light equivalent of 1 trillion ...
Astronomy
Oct 29, 2025
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In a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration reports on the detection of two gravitational wave events in October and November of 2024 with unusual black hole ...
Astronomy
Oct 28, 2025
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So much happened in the earliest moments of the universe. Elementary particles appeared, the first nuclei of hydrogen and helium, and fluctuations of energy and matter set into motion the formation of galaxies and supermassive ...
Astronomy
Oct 28, 2025
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Small and unassuming, Segue 1 is a nearby dwarf galaxy containing only a handful of stars—too few to provide the gravity needed to keep itself from scattering into space. Like other dwarf galaxies, it was long believed that ...
Astronomy
Oct 27, 2025
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A powerful new telescope has captured its first glimpse of the cosmos, and could transform our understanding of how stars, galaxies and black holes evolve.
Astronomy
Oct 21, 2025
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An international team of astronomers has discovered the first tidal disruption event (TDE) producing bright radio emission outside the center of a galaxy. The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Astronomy
Oct 15, 2025
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When galaxies collide, it's not a gentle affair, but it does take millions of years. Over this time, the two massive star systems slowly merge together, their gravitational pull drawing them closer. At the heart of each galaxy ...
Astronomy
Oct 13, 2025
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The supermassive black hole at the center of the Circinus galaxy is being fed with gaseous material by two spiral arms, according to an international team of researchers led by Wout Goesaert (Leiden University, the Netherlands). ...
Astronomy
Oct 13, 2025
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According to a new Physical Review Letters study, black holes could help solve the dark matter mystery. The shadowy regions in black hole images captured by the Event Horizon Telescope can act as ultra-sensitive detectors ...
For the first time, astronomers have managed to capture a radio image showing two black holes orbiting each other. The observation confirmed the existence of black hole pairs. In the past, astronomers have only managed to ...
Astronomy
Oct 9, 2025
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