It was discovered the largest black hole

It was discovered the largest black hole

Astronomers say they have discovered the largest black hole ever observed that a genuine "monster" with a mass of 17 billion times that of the Sun, which is at the center of distant galaxies.

This huge black hole is 14% of the total mass of its galaxy, unlike the 0.1% recorded usually in other galaxies. Is a rate so high that it could compel specialists to review their theories about the formation of galaxies.

Huge black hole in NGC 1277 is located 220 million light-years from Earth, in a galaxy 10 times smaller than the Milky Way. Diameter black hole is huge, being 11 times greater than Neptune's orbit around the Sun.

"It's really an unusual galaxy," said in a statement Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas at Austin American city.


"It's almost entirely a black hole. Could be the first object found in a new class, the galactic black holes," added the researcher, co-author of the study, published Wednesday in the British journal Nature.

NGC 1277 is certainly occupy at least the second-largest black holes identified and has a real chance to actually be in first place in the ranking.

Mass black hole considered current Number 1, discovered in 2011, has not yet been calculated accurately - it could be between 6 and 37 billion times the mass of the Sun.

Black holes are the most powerful forces in the universe, creating a gravitational field so intense that even light can not escape them.

A stellar mass black hole is formed when a star collapses very big inside her, towards the end of his life. Black hole can continue to grow, engulfing other stars and merging with other black holes, leading sometimes these supermassive black holes that occupy the centers of galaxies.

But NGC 1277 questions this theory by disproportionate to its size galaxy belongs.

Further studies will be necessary to determine whether the abnormally large black hole is unique in its own way or if it actually reveals a mechanism yet unknown cosmic training.

"Galaxy which hosts the black hole seems to have formed as a result of over 8 billion years old and it does not seem to have changed much since then," said researchers at the Max Planck Institute, study coordinators.