The Universe Is Full of ‘Impossible’ Black Holes. Now Scientists Know Why
Scientists have discovered that some black holes, previously deemed 'impossible' due to their mass, are actually formed through the merging of smaller black holes. This finding is supported by gravitational wave data that indicates these heavy black holes exhibit characteristics of second-generation objects. The research suggests that the universe recycles black holes, leading to the creation of these massive entities in dense stellar clusters.
- ▪An international team of astrophysicists has found evidence that the universe recycles black holes by merging them to form larger ones.
- ▪Gravitational waves recorded show that some heavy black holes are products of past collisions, not formed from the collapse of massive stars.
- ▪The study analyzed 153 black hole merger detections and identified distinct populations based on their masses and spins.
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Jorge GarayScienceMay 24, 2026 4:00 AMThe Universe Is Full of ‘Impossible’ Black Holes. Scientists Now Know WhyThere are black holes that are too big to be born from the death of a star but aren’t quite supermassive either. There’s finally evidence for where those came from.Illustration: NASACommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyAn international team of astrophysicists has found evidence that the universe recycles black holes, merging them to form even larger ones.
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