
Even Lonely Black Holes Need to Eat
Astronomers have found supermassive black holes in smaller galaxies are actually more likely to light up when they’re isolated in vast, cosmic voids.

Signal Found from Supermassive Duo's Second Black Hole
Astronomers have long suspected that a distant quasar harbors not one but two supermassive black holes. They've now detected OJ 287's second black hole.

“Rogue Black Hole” Could Be Something Much Simpler
An unusual streak of stars thought to have formed in the wake of a wandering supermassive black hole might just be a spiral galaxy seen edge-on.

First Image of Black Hole Shadow and Jet Together
For the first time, astronomers have seen how the big plasma jet shot out by a supermassive black hole connects to the material falling into the black hole.

Massive Black Hole Duo Spotted at Cosmic Noon
The most distant pair of supermassive black holes discovered offers a unique insight into how galaxies merge.

Watch the Milky Way’s Black Hole Spaghettify a Cloud
Two decades of observations show a dusty gas cloud elongating as it approaches our galaxy's supermassive black hole.

Have Scientists Found a Rogue Supermassive Black Hole?
An unusual stellar streak emerging from a distant galaxy might be a sign of a runaway supermassive black hole, scientists suggest.

Searching for the Seeds of Supermassive Black Holes
The seeds of supermassive black holes could show up in an upcoming sky survey with JWST.

Where Did the First Quasars Come From?
New research shows how black holes with tens of thousands of Suns' worth of mass can form in the universe's early years.

Monstrous Black Holes Spin More Slowly — But Why?
X-ray observations add to growing evidence that the most massive black holes have a different past than their lightweight peers.

These Two Black Hole Behemoths Will Merge in 10,000 Years
Astronomers have discovered a pair of supermassive black holes that whirl around each other every two years.

Supermassive Black Hole Hides Behind a Ring of Dust
A high-resolution infrared image has revealed a dust screen obscuring a gas-devouring supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy NGC 1068, confirming 30-year-old predictions.

Dwarf Galaxies Shed Light on Black Hole Origins
Astronomers are searching nearby dwarf galaxies for the ancient origins of supermassive black holes.

Tiny Galaxy’s Giant Black Hole Throws Astronomers for a Loop
A satellite galaxy dwarfed by the Milky Way has a black hole nearly as massive as the one at the center of our galaxy.

Nearest Supermassive Black Hole Pair Discovered
Astronomers have observed a pair of supermassive black holes set to collide in 250 million years.

Astronomy in Pictures: Black Holes, Baby Stars, and Magnetic "Tunnels"
Astronomers witness the unfurling of a black hole-powered mushroom cloud, a baby super-Jupiter, and a magnetic "tunnel" around the solar system.

60-second Astro News: White Dwarfs Still Burn, Black Holes Merge
This week in astronomy news, we learn that some white dwarfs still burn and image X-rays from black holes almost 12 billion light-years away.

Watch Black Holes Grow, Galaxies Fall
Watch black holes grow and galaxies fall — astro photos and visualizations to get you through the week.

How Black Holes Eat Reveals Their Mass
No one knows why quasars flicker — but astronomers are using these wavering beacons to "weigh" the black holes that power them.

Event Horizon Telescope Reveals Curious Jet Structure from Black Hole
Observations of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A, provide the highest-resolution look at the long jets shooting from the galaxy’s supermassive black hole.