Scientists discover super-massive black hole in motion

Context

• Scientists have discovered a "restless" super-massive black hole wandering in space with a velocity of around 4,810 kilometers per second.
• It has been found in the galaxy named J0437+2456.

About the finding

• Moving Blackhole: Blackholes are generally not expected to move as they are heavier and considered to be at rest.
• Researchers at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard and Smithsonian have identified, it as the clearest case till the date of a supermassive black hole in motion".
• About the galaxy: The spiral galaxy J0437+2456, located around 228 million light-years away.
• It has a supermassive black hole that seemed to be moving at a significantly different velocity from the rest of the galaxy.
• This super-massive black hole is believed to be around 3 million times the mass of the Sun.
• Speed of the components of a galaxy
• Galaxy’s H2:The galaxy's neutral hydrogen appears to be receding at a slightly higher velocity of 4,910 kilometers per second.
• Inner Region: The velocity of the inner region of the galaxy is 4,860 kilometers per second.
• Similar pace: The galaxy and black hole both have the same velocities.

A possible explanation of the movement

• The galaxy could be experiencing an ongoing encounter with another massive object, like another galaxy.
• The super-massive black hole could have collided with another super-massive black hole, generating a recoil kick that pushed the black hole out of position.
• The wobbling could be the galaxy and black hole settling back down.
• The black hole could have an unseen binary companion, the two objects orbiting a mutual center of gravity within the galactic nucleus.