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First Pair of Supermassive Black Holes Discovered in Markarian 501

4/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Astronomers report a potential discovery of the first pair of supermassive black holes in Markarian 501.
Led by Silke Britzen, the team analyzed 23 years of data and found two jets from the black holes.
The black holes orbit every 121 days and sit 250 to 540 astronomical units apart.
They could merge within 100 years, potentially emitting detectable gravitational waves, according to Héctor Olivares of the Max Planck Institute.

History

Historical Context

In 2019, astronomers confirmed the existence of supermassive black holes, revealing two orbiting every 121 days, located 250 to 540 astronomical units apart. This discovery builds on earlier findings, including the first detection of gravitational waves by LIGO in 2015, which opened new avenues in astrophysics. The potential merger of these black holes within 100 years could deepen our understanding of cosmic evolution.

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Story summary

Astronomers report a potential discovery of the first pair of supermassive black holes in Markarian 501.
Led by Silke Britzen, the team analyzed 23 years of data and found two jets from the black holes.
The black holes orbit every 121 days and sit 250 to 540 astronomical units apart.
They could merge within 100 years, potentially emitting detectable gravitational waves, according to Héctor Olivares of the Max Planck Institute.

1 / 2