A recent study has discovered a pair of supermassive black holes devouring an enormous gas cloud, providing new insights into the behavior of these cosmic giants and their relationship with the galaxies they inhabit. The signal, designated AT 2021hdr, was first detected in March 2021 by the Zwicky Transient Facility and originated from a galaxy called 2MASX J21240027+3409114. The signal exhibited an unusual brightness oscillation pattern not observed in such events, prompting the researchers to investigate the signal in greater depth. The study included observations with the Swift satellite, Zwicky Transient Facility, Very Long Baseline Array, and optical telescopes in Spain, Mexico, and India. The researchers hypothesized that the radiation was produced by a pair of supermassive black holes consuming a massive cloud of galactic gas.
Astronomers have discovered a binary supermassive black hole interacting with a gas cloud, which is roughly equivalent in mass to the Sun. The AT 2021hdr signal fits well with the computer model predictions, and the team believes that the light emitted by the system can be explained by this interaction. The two black holes would be separated by 0.8 milliparsecs, orbit each other every 130 days, have a combined mass of about 40 million solar masses, and are expected to merge in 70,000 years. The discovery could transform how astronomers study supermassive black holes, providing new insights into galactic development.