Two black holes merged, creating a giant 225 times larger than the Sun

Scientists have detected the merger of two supermassive black holes, two of space's most terrifying entities. The resulting black hole, more than 225 times the mass of the Sun, is the largest pair of black holes ever observed using gravitational waves.

This signal, called GW231123, was detected by the LIGO Hanford (Washington) and LIGO Livingston (Louisiana) observatories. However, the signal lasted only 0.1 seconds, making the data very difficult for scientists to interpret.

According to the Daily Mail, Professor Mark Hannam of Cardiff University said, "This is the largest black hole binary we have ever observed with gravitational waves, and it poses a serious challenge to our understanding of black hole formation. Standard models of stellar evolution cannot explain such massive black holes."

According to Professor Hannam, the formation of such large black holes can be explained by smaller black holes merging and then merging again. This suggests the need to reexamine theories of black hole evolution.

Black holes are mysterious celestial bodies with such intense gravity that even light cannot escape. One of the most enigmatic structures in the universe, black holes are known for their ability to pack large masses into a very small volume.

THEY RETURN 400 THOUSAND TIMES FASTER THAN EARTH

The black holes in this merger are notable not only for their mass but also for their extremely rapid rotation. They are spinning at a speed of approximately 400,000 times the Earth's rotation speed. Dr. Charlie Hoy of the University of Portsmouth noted that this rapid rotation makes the signal difficult to interpret, saying, "They are approaching the rotation limit allowed by Einstein's theory of general relativity."

To date, approximately 300 black hole mergers have been observed via gravitational waves. However, this event surpasses all previous records with its massive size. The previous largest black hole merger was only 140 times the mass of the Sun.

However, there are much larger black holes detected by other methods. For example, last year, a study led by the University of Cambridge observed a black hole with a mass 400 million times that of the Sun using the James Webb Space Telescope.

Black holes aren't just massive. Scientists say microscopic black holes, smaller than a hydrogen atom, can even be found in our homes. In fact, some estimates suggest that as many as 1,000 tiny black holes may pass through every square meter of our planet each year—without being noticed.

This striking black hole merger discovery will be presented at the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation in Glasgow.