Some black holes grow much faster than their galaxies
Astronomers have found eight black holes growing far faster than their host galaxies, with mass ratios ten times larger than the usual pattern.
Nearly every galaxy has a supermassive black hole. The few that don't have had theirs ejected during a galactic collision. That's because galaxies and their black holes have formed hand in hand. There is still some debate as to whether galaxies formed around the seeds of supermassive black holes or the other way around, but there is plenty of evidence to support the idea that the two evolve together.
A study using the eROSITA X-ray telescope examined more than 20,000 quasars and found eight black holes growing much faster than their surrounding galaxies.
These oversized black holes make up about 5 per cent of their galaxy's mass, compared with the usual 0.5 per cent, and three are consuming matter at an exceptional pace.
Researchers estimate these black holes could double in mass within a billion years, challenging existing theories about how galaxies and black holes evolve together.
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