A hidden giant may be on a slow journey towards our galaxy. Scientists have detected signs of a massive, invisible object within the Large Magellanic Cloud. Weighing around 600,000 times the Sun’s mass, this suspected black hole could eventually merge with the Milky Way.
Possible Black Hole Detected
Astrophysicists from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics studied hypervelocity stars. These fast-moving stars may have been ejected by a black hole through the Hills mechanism. This process occurs when a black hole interacts with two stars, flinging one away at high speed.
Researchers analysed 21 such stars in the Milky Way's outer halo. They traced their origins and found that nine likely came from the Large Magellanic Cloud. The mass required to eject these stars suggests a hidden black hole in the dwarf galaxy.
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Collision with Milky Way in Future
The Large Magellanic Cloud orbits the Milky Way at 160,000 light-years away. Scientists estimate it will collide with our galaxy in about 2 billion years. If the suspected black hole exists, it will eventually merge with Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s centre.
Astronomers believe such mergers help black holes grow over time. The research team hopes future studies will confirm the black hole’s presence and reveal more details. Their findings have been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal and are available on arXiv.
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