A black hole in space is mysterious and still requires a lot of research. But what happens when two of them collide?
Washington DC – The researchers are 99 percent certain: There will be a massive collision between two black holes that will shake space-time. The study, which the scientists published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters , observed the two black holes that share the name PKS 2131-021 and uncovered insights even more exciting than the possibility that there are gems on a hot Jupiter might rain.
The two observed black holes are about 9 billion light-years from Earth. NASA explained that these have been continuously moving towards each other for about 100 million years. The two black holes now orbit each other about every two years.
Collision of two supermassive black holes will rock space-time
No one alive today will be able to witness the collision, so much is said for reassurance. It won’t be until 10,000 years from now when the two black holes will merge and send gravitational waves through the universe. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time and were first predicted by Albert Einstein.
Nonetheless, it is important research work that the scientists did. Observing them can already provide insights into how supermassive black holes form and what the consequences are when they collide.
Supermassive black holes: Giants million times the mass of our sun
Supermassive black holes are extremely dense objects hundreds of millions of times more massive than the Sun at the center of our solar system. These black holes are at the heart of most galaxies in the universe—perhaps all of them.
How the black holes can reach such a mass is still a mystery to astronomers. One theory says they are formed when at least two smaller black holes merge, NASA explains. The researchers’ findings could help confirm this assumption.
Fluctuations in brightness of plasma jet from black hole allow calculations
PKS 2131-021 is a special black hole: it is a so-called blazar. A blazar is a supermassive black hole that randomly directs a jet of highly charged matter directly at Earth. This ray can be measured in terms of its brightness. It is created by gas that is attracted to the black hole and thrown out into the universe – at almost the speed of light.
The scientists found that the brightness of the blazar varied remarkably regularly. So regularly that the authors likened it to the ticking of a clock. The predictability provided the basis for a theory: they are caused by a second black hole tugging at the first, so to speak, as they orbit each other.
The researchers evaluated the data from five observatories, which they had collected over 45 years. The data confirmed the scientists’ theory. The predictions were consistent with data on the changing brightness of the blazar. The influence of gravity that celestial bodies have on each other is becoming the basis of new findings time and again. For example, new insights into a planet with two suns – like in the Star Wars films – were recently gained.
Waves in space-time even before the collision
Even before the two giants collide, they could send gravitational waves into space. The two supermassive black holes would be big enough and close enough to each other. The authors of the study also explain this. Therefore, future observations of PKS 2131-021 are focused on catching these waves in the act. (mda)
