Three quasars have formed one of the most massive objects in the universe

A system of three active galactic nuclei merged to form a supermassive black hole. This means that a trio of black holes created one of the most massive objects in the universe! Astronomers' discovery was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. That’s what it’s all about.

A trio of quasars has formed one of the most massive black holes in the universe. Credit: Yueying Ni et.al

The research team used telescope data and computer simulations to understand the causes of the largest black holes in the universe. Scientists used a sophisticated digital system called Astrid, which was used to study galaxy formation and black hole fusion. The system was able to model 'large regions of the cosmos covering hundreds of millions of light-years in very high resolution'.

The simulation results indicate that three black holes can fuse into one supermassive black hole. The three quasars first accumulated their mass, and then the galaxies they belonged to merged into one of the most massive objects in the universe. Astronomers say each galactic mass is 10 times the size of the Milky Way. However, more research is needed to better understand the behavior of these giant cosmic monsters.

References: Phys.org