Hubble_rogue_black_hole.mp4
Summary: A runaway supermassive black hole, 3C 186, is observed 8 billion light-years away, traveling at incredible speeds. Scientists propose this is due to the recoil from the merger of two supermassive black holes, flinging the newly formed black hole away from its host galaxy's center.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a galaxy 8 billion light-years away, featuring a super bright spot identified as quasar 3C 186. This quasar, powered by a supermassive black hole, is unusually far from the galaxy's center—about 35,000 light-years away—and is flying away at an astounding 1,300 miles per second (2,000 km/s). For context, our Sun moves around our galaxy at only 15 miles per second. Astronomers, led by Marco Chiaberge, suggest that this 'runaway' black hole resulted from the merger of two galaxies, and subsequently, their two central supermassive black holes. When two black holes merge, they create gravitational waves. If the merging black holes are of unequal mass or rotation, they emit stronger gravitational waves in one direction, causing the newly formed black hole to recoil and shoot off in the opposite direction. The energy required for this immense velocity is estimated to be equivalent to 100 million simultaneous supernovas.
Playback guide
1. time: 0:00 label: Introduction to Hubble image of a galaxy 2. time: 0:02 label: Hubble image of galaxy with bright quasar 3C 186 3. time: 0:13 label: Identification of quasar 3C 186 with image details 4. time: 0:18 label: Artist concept: What is a quasar and supermassive black hole 5. time: 0:26 label: Explanation of supermassive black hole mass and location 6. time: 0:34 label: Hubble image with galaxy center marked (green circle) 7. time: 0:39 label: Distance of quasar from galaxy center (35,000 light-years) and speed (1,300 miles/s) 8. time: 0:58 label: Comparison of black hole speed to Sun's orbital speed 9. time: 1:04 label: Discussion of the black hole's enormous mass and mystery of its movement 10. time: 1:12 label: Reference to scientific paper and astronomers' hypothesis 11. time: 1:20 label: Hubble image showing tidal tails around the galaxy 12. time: 1:31 label: Hypothesis: galaxy formed from two merging galaxies, leading to merging black holes 13. time: 1:40 label: Artist concept: Two black holes merging and creating gravitational waves 14. time: 1:50 label: Artist concept: Warping of spacetime as black holes spiral in 15. time: 1:57 label: Explanation of uneven black hole merger creating directional gravitational waves 16. time: 2:10 label: Recoil effect: newly merged black hole shoots off like a rocket 17. time: 2:19 label: Energy equivalent to 100 million supernovas 18. time: 2:30 label: Summary of the discovery and its significance 19. time: 2:53 label: NASA logo and website/social media information