People usually think that the biggest threat to the universe is the burst of our hot star, the Sun. However, if you did not know, there are black holes not so far from the Milky Way galaxy where we live that can absorb stars and more. Have you heard of “Supermassive Black Holes”? These anomalies can digest literally anything, and they’re so big they have the potential to make many galaxies disappear in a short amount of time. They are always hungry for matter, and just like humans, as they keep eating nonstop, they become more and more massive, increasing the danger for our space and solar system.
What is a SMBH?
A black hole with a mass more than 100,000 times that of the Sun is called a supermassive black hole (SMBH). There is a supermassive black hole in the center of almost every giant galaxy (like ours). Supermassive black holes power active galactic centers like quasars and Seyfert galaxies. Below there’ll be examples of the biggest SMBH that we know of today:
TON 618
At the film’s end is TON 618, one of the few big and exceptionally far-off black holes for which astronomers have direct measurements. With almost 60 billion solar masses, this massive object has a shadow so big that it would take weeks for a light beam to pass across it. That is how NASA described it, and if they were impressed and afraid at the same time when it was discovered, it is no joke.
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*)
Now, Sagittarius A* is in our galaxy, at the center of the Milky Way, to be specific. Still, compared to TON 618, it can be considered as a mini SMBH because it has a mass equivalent of four million suns, not 60 billion like our big friend TONantzintla does (that is TON 618’s full name, don’t try to call him that way or he’s going to absorb your entire house). But back to Sgr A*It’s 27,000 light years distant from Earth and very close to the Sagittarius Constellation. Don’t let its size fool you; it can still endanger everything we love, INCLUDING YOU.
Phoenix A
The father of SMBHs, the big boss, the infamous Phoenix A, the most significant black hole ever discovered, and the most active galaxy. Star generation in Phoenix A is more than 700 times greater than the Milky Way. An average of one star develops in our galaxy per year. Every year, 740 stars develop in Phoenix A. Phoenix A is presently going through a starburst phase, during which star creation is happening more quickly. Phoenix A is really one of the most active galaxies seen to date.
It is said that It is inconceivable for this black hole to have formed from a star due to its immense mass. Instead, Phoenix A’s supermassive black hole may be among the universe’s earliest as it was most likely created by the collision of many supermassive black holes that had formed soon after the Big Bang, meaning it’s probably the oldest black hole out there (that’s why we called him “the father of SMBHs)”. Moreover, the mass and dimensions of the black hole itself are expanding. It now takes in enormous amounts of material, adding 60 suns to its mass annually.
But hey, don’t you worry about them, because they are indeed far from us. The ones that are relatively close to our galaxy can’t harm us since they are not as big as Phoenix A, so stay calm and relax because the chances of them absorbing our solar system and Milky Way are very low, but never zero; that means keep an eye on it ;).
