• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists discover ‘supermassive’ black hole is now facing Earth after changing direction

Home> News

Published 17:19 26 Mar 2023 GMT+1

Scientists discover ‘supermassive’ black hole is now facing Earth after changing direction

"Alexa, play Supermassive Black Hole by Muse"

Harley Young

Harley Young

Scientists have revealed that a galaxy known as PBC J2333.9-2343 has been reclassified following the discovery of a supermassive black hole that's currently facing towards our own solar system.

It is believed the galaxy is around 657 million light-years away and was initially classified as a radio galaxy. However, scientists quickly realized that it had, in fact, rotated to point its center towards Earth.

The report came from the Royal Astronomical Society on Tuesday (21 March) where spokesperson, Dr. Lorena Hernández-García said: “We started to study this galaxy as it showed peculiar properties.

"Our hypothesis was that the relativistic jet of its supermassive black hole had changed its direction, and to confirm that idea we had to carry out a lot of observations,”

Advert

Scientists captured a black hole 'swallowing' a star recently.
Pixabay / moritz320

“The fact that we see the nucleus is not feeding the lobes anymore means that they are very old. They are the relics of past activity, whereas the structures located closer to the nucleus represent younger and active jets.”

As of yet, scientists are unsure what has caused the change in direction, though it is possible that galaxy PBC J2333.9-2343 had collided with another galaxy and this is the cause of the 90 degree shift.

Currently, it is unclear how this shift could affect our own galaxy.

Advert

Researchers at the Royal Astronomical Society have since added that the galaxy stretches almost 4 million light-years wide, making the black hole a whopping 40 times the size of the Milky Way.

As well as the tilt-shifted black hole, there are other threats that the Earth faces. Recent data has found three near-Earth asteroids (NEA) located in the inner solar system that could pose a serious risk to our planet and solar system.

After a 90 degree rotation, the 'supermassive' black hole is now pointing its center towards Earth.
Pixabay / Hans

Lead author and astronomer Scott Sheppard said in a NOIR Lab press release on Monday (20 March): “Our twilight survey is scouring the area within the orbits of Earth and Venus for asteroids,”

Advert

“So far we have found two large near-Earth asteroids that are about 1 kilometer across, a size that we call planet killers.”

Only a year ago, scientists were alerted to the existence of another black hole. It was discovered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and was seen to be affecting the motion of a nearby star.

The star that was being affected is roughly five times the size of our sun, located in a cluster known as NGC1850. However, this one isn't as large as the one discovered to be facing us on Tuesday.

Featured Image Credit: B.A.E. Inc. / Ivan Kmit / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Science, Technology

Harley Young
Harley Young

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Cult classic film removed from Disney+ over controversial scene that had it banned from TV

    The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has long expressed its concerns about the scene in the 1989 movie

    Film & TV
  • 6 hours ago

    Vin Diesel hints Paul Walker could be in upcoming Fast and Furious movie and it's left fans very divided

    He's desperate to reunite Dom and Brian

    Film & TV
  • 7 hours ago

    Trump supporters are revealing the ‘red line’ that would make them stop supporting him and people say it’s ‘disturbing’

    President Trump's shocking approval ratings were recently released

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Starbucks customer outraged after barista allegedly wrote 'illegal' joke on her cup

    "When I read it I’m like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh?"

    News
  • Scientists have created the first 'black hole bomb' and it could have a major impact
  • Scientists discover remains of a 'buried planet' found deep within the Earth
  • Scientists discover missing continent after nearly 400 years
  • Scientists discover life on Earth may have come from a giant meteorite four times the size of Mount Everest