A Quick Look at Cases of Black Hole Mistaken Identity
Description:
Astronomers have discovered one type of growing supermassive black hole masquerading as another. The misidentified black holes are from the Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S), the deepest X-ray image ever taken. Researchers also used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and other observatories. These black holes were so difficult to correctly identify because they are wrapped in thick cocoons of gas and dust that stifle most light from getting out. Astronomers think these cocoons of material are a fuel source that enables the black hole to grow and generate radiation. This discovery has important implications for understanding how supermassive black holes grow and evolve over billions of years.