At just 300 million light years apart, it's the closest duo yet discovered.
Around 800 million light years from Earth, two large black holes are circling each other at a distance closer than any other pair humans have ever detected. One day, millions of years from now, they will merge in a crash that will rattle the fabric of reality itself.
The source of the third blob of oxygen spotted by Hubble is not yet known. These types of black holes are also known as active galactic nuclei, as they are found at the center of galaxies. The pair likely began circling each other after their galaxies collided in the distant past.
“We were not expecting to see something like this,”she added. “This view is not a common occurrence in the nearby universe, and told us there’s something else going on inside the galaxy.”
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