NASA Stumbles Across 10 Undiscovered Black Holes

NASA recently stumbled across 10 previously undiscovered supermassive black holes, using its Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). NASA is hoping this is simply the beginning of their good fortune, as the team anticipates hundreds of potential discoveries to emerge from the depths of space.

Super Massive Black Holes

Super massive black holes are the largest black hole type, possessing hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses. Astronomers postulate that there are super massive black holes dotted throughout distant galaxies, often situated within their centers. Sagittarius A* is the name coined for the super massive black within the Milky Way.

The trigger of these space monsters has been the source of much debate amongst leading astronomers. One theory posits, super massive black holes materialize upon a star’s demise, as matter is squeezed into a very small volume. The extreme density of this matter instigates powerful gravitational forces, from which even light cannot escape.

Many of these black holes have been identified indirectly, by detecting X-rays emitted from the accretion disks, surrounding their cores. The accretion disk arises from the influence of the supermassive black hole’s gravitational forces, slowly drawing streams of matter ever-closer, which slowly revolve around its center. As the matter proceeds towards its fate, it experiences frictional forces that cause it to release detectable, high-energy radiation. This radiation can then be measured by X-ray telescopes, such as NuSTAR.

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