NASA Discovers a Black Hole That’s Growing at an Alarming Rate, and It’s Not Alone

Get ready to have your mind blown! In June 2022, Australian scientists discovered a supermassive black hole, named J1144, that’s devouring matter at a rate that is beyond comprehension. Every second, J1144 is swallowing up the mass equivalent to the entire planet Earth! To put that into perspective, the orbits of all the planets in our solar system could fit inside its event horizon. And if that’s not enough to make you feel small, J1144 is also the fastest-growing black hole known to exist in the last 9 billion years!

But wait, there’s more! J1144 is not the only one of its kind. Astronomers believe that there could be at least 100 million wandering black holes in our Milky Way galaxy alone. These rogue black holes are not stationary, but instead, they move through space at unimaginable speeds, reaching up to 5 million kilometers per hour! While this might sound terrifying, rest assured that there is no black hole lurking in our solar system waiting to suck us in like a vacuum cleaner. That’s just a myth.

But what makes J1144 and other black holes like it so special? Well, it all comes down to their appetite. They’re like the ultimate foodies of the universe, gobbling up matter at a rate that we can’t even begin to comprehend. J1144’s red-hot accretion disk shines 7,000 times brighter than the light of the entire Milky Way, making it visible even to amateur astronomers with powerful telescopes.

So, what does all of this mean for us? While these wandering black holes might sound intimidating, they’re not an immediate threat to us. The closest known rogue black hole is still a whopping 5,000 light years away. However, their existence poses a fascinating question: what other mysteries lie hidden in the vast expanse of space, waiting to be discovered?

In conclusion, the discovery of J1144 and other black holes like it has given us a glimpse into the mysteries of the universe. It’s incredible to think that there are objects out there that are devouring matter at an alarming rate, yet are still shrouded in so much mystery. Who knows what other secrets are waiting to be uncovered? The universe is vast and full of wonders, and we can’t wait to see what else it has in store for us.