Researchers discover monster black holes 150 times heavier than sun

A global team of researchers including from The University of Western has detected two gravitational wave black holes colliding into a big black hole, more than 150 times the weight of the sun.

UWA researchers were among the fastest to detect the black holes, within seconds, making a discovery that has changed scientists’ understanding of the Universe.

A black hole is one of the most mysterious objects in the Universe. Scientists do not know what is inside black holes – the region where gravity becomes so strong that not even light can escape its pull.

For this reason, telescopes that see electromagnetic radiation such as optical light and radio waves can only see the hot material surrounding the black hole. Last year, the Event Horizon Telescope imaged this material and the shadow cast by the black hole where light cannot escape.

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