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Three supermassive black holes are ready to collide.
According to a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, these three monsters are close to each other in a galaxy fusion system located about a billion light-years away from Earth.
"We were only looking for pairs of black holes at the time, and yet, thanks to our selection technique, we came across this incredible system," said Ryan Pfeifle of George Mason University of Fairfax , Virginia, first author of the new study, in a report. "This is the strongest proof to date for a triple system of this type, which is actively feeding supermassive black holes."
The researchers had to combine telescope data on the ground and in space in order to spot this rare black hole trifecta, according to NASA.
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This artistic interpretation shows two black holes on a collision course. In the new system, three supermassive black holes will merge.
(MARK GARLICK / LIBRARY PHOTOS OF SCIENCE / Getty Images)
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According to scientists, one of the problems encountered when looking for three supermassive black holes is that they may be covered with gas and dust, which would block much of their light.
"Through the use of these large observatories, we have identified a new way to identify the three supermassive black holes.Every telescope gives us a different clue about what's going on in these systems," said Pfeifle . "We hope to expand our work to find more triples using the same technique."
If you follow: The system in which the black holes are located is called SDSS J084905.51 + 111447.2.
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