What Is The Biggest Black Hole In The Universe?
The biggest black hole currently known is TON 618, a supermassive black hole that resides in a distant quasar about 10.4 billion light-years from Earth, located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most massive black holes ever detected, with an estimated mass of 66 billion times the mass of the Sun. Let’s break down the details of this cosmic giant:
1. Location and Discovery
- TON 618 is located in the Canes Venatici constellation, which is relatively far from the Milky Way, making it one of the most distant black holes we have observed.
- It was first discovered in the 1970s as part of a radio astronomy survey. The object was classified as a quasar, which is a galaxy with an extremely active supermassive black hole at its center.
2. Quasar and Light Emission
- A quasar is powered by material falling into a supermassive black hole, which heats up and emits incredible amounts of light and energy. TON 618 is so far away that the light we see from it today was emitted when the universe was just about 3 billion years old.
- The light emitted from TON 618 is ultraviolet and X-rays, produced as gas and dust heat up while spiraling into the black hole.
3. Mass and Size
- The estimated mass of TON 618 is 66 billion solar masses. To give perspective, this means that it has a mass of 66 billion times the mass of our Sun.
- Event Horizon Size: The event horizon is the boundary around the black hole beyond which nothing can escape, not even light. The size of TON 618’s event horizon is around 1,300 astronomical units (AU). One AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun (~93 million miles). This means the diameter of TON 618’s event horizon is about 32 times the distance between the Sun and Pluto!
4. Accretion Disk and Energy Output
- Accretion Disk: The region around the black hole where gas and other material swirl as they fall into the black hole. In the case of TON 618, the accretion disk is extremely luminous, shining more than a trillion times as bright as the Sun.
- The quasar powered by TON 618 is so bright that it outshines its entire host galaxy, making it one of the most luminous objects in the observable universe.
5. Comparison to Other Black Holes
- Sagittarius A*: The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius A*, is about 4 million solar masses, which pales in comparison to TON 618’s 66 billion solar masses.
- Even other well-known supermassive black holes, like those in the Messier 87 galaxy (~6.5 billion solar masses), are dwarfed by TON 618.
6. How Is It So Massive?
TON 618 likely grew through both accretion (accumulating mass by drawing in gas, dust, and other material) and mergers with other black holes. Over billions of years, it may have consumed enormous amounts of material, growing into the colossal black hole it is today.
7. Theoretical Limits
While TON 618 is the largest black hole currently known, there is still much to learn about black hole growth and the limits on their size. Some theories suggest that even more massive black holes may exist, but they are yet to be discovered or confirmed.
8. Future Discoveries
The study of quasars and black holes like TON 618 continues to evolve, especially with more advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope. As we peer further into the universe, we might discover even larger black holes or better understand how these giants formed in the early universe.
In summary, TON 618 is a supermassive black hole located at the heart of a quasar and is the largest known black hole with a mass of 66 billion suns. It shines incredibly bright due to its surrounding accretion disk, making it one of the most luminous objects in the universe. Its size and power dwarf most other black holes, making it a cosmic giant that continues to intrigue scientists.
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