Mystery solved? Runaway black hole chased by tail of stars may be galaxy in disguise


May 10, 2023

The supposed tail of stars may actually be an entire galaxy seen in profile, a new study suggests.

A 200,000-light-year-long chain of stars originally thought to be trailing a runaway black hole may actually be a galaxy in disguise.

Astronomers announced the inferred existence of the rogue black hole, with a mass equivalent to 20 million suns, earlier this year, based on observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. Researchers were astounded by the size of the tail of stars the black hole appears to be dragging along as it speeds away from its home galaxy.

https://www.space.com/runaway-black-...mystery-solved