For the first time, two black holes revolved around each other

Two giant black holes in the galaxy 0402 + 379 revolve around each other for the first time.

Two giant black holes revolve around each other, 750 million light-years from Earth.(Graphics: UNM.)

A group of American scientists in the Astrophysical magazine study reported that they observed directly two giant black holes about 750 million light-years from Earth, Newsweek reported on June 28.

Scientists use 10 radio telescopes across the United States to observe two black holes 12 years ago. Two giant black holes are in galaxy 0402 + 379, which has a total mass of 15 billion solar masses and takes about 20,000-30,000 years to spin an orbit.

The process of recording signals emitted by two black holes helps scientists build their trajectory."It is clear that this is the first system of two black holes around each other to be observed ," the authors write. The team will continue to observe for the next 3-4 years to confirm the information.

Scientists have long hypothesized that the existence of two black holes around each other is the result of a merger between the two galaxies, though it has never been discovered before.

Simulating two merged black holes.(Graphics: Warp Drive Research.)

Because of the difference in the travel speed of the two black holes, the researchers predict they will never merge even if the universe ends after billions or trillions of years to come. " Imagine a snail moving at 1 cm / s around Earth-like Proxima Centauri like 4 light-years away," study co-author Roger W. Romani, professor of physics at Stanford University, said.

The new discovery provides information about the time before two black holes collided, an astronomical event that spreads gravitational waves across the universe. The discovery also helps people foresee the future when the Andromeda galaxy is expected to hit the Milky Way in about 4 billion years.