An unusual source of light in a galaxy some 90 million light-years away has been discovered after analyzing decades of observations from NASA's Swift satellite.
The object's curious properties closely resemble a supermassive black hole ejected from its home galaxy after merging with another giant black hole. However, astronomers can't rule out an alternative possibility.
The source, called SDSS1133, could also be the remnant of a massive star that erupted for a record period of time before destroying itself in a supernova explosion.
The mystery object is part of the dwarf galaxy Markarian 177, located in the bowl of the Plough, a well-known star pattern within the constellation Ursa Major.
Using the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, researchers obtained high-resolution images of Markarian 177 and SDSS1133 using a near-infrared filter. Twin bright spots in the galaxy's center are consistent with recent star formation, a disturbance that hints this galaxy may have merged with another.
The object's curious properties closely resemble a supermassive black hole ejected from its home galaxy after merging with another giant black hole. However, astronomers can't rule out an alternative possibility.
The source, called SDSS1133, could also be the remnant of a massive star that erupted for a record period of time before destroying itself in a supernova explosion.
The mystery object is part of the dwarf galaxy Markarian 177, located in the bowl of the Plough, a well-known star pattern within the constellation Ursa Major.
Using the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, researchers obtained high-resolution images of Markarian 177 and SDSS1133 using a near-infrared filter. Twin bright spots in the galaxy's center are consistent with recent star formation, a disturbance that hints this galaxy may have merged with another.