Size Matters

Look: A “mini monster” could help explain how black holes form

Did they grow quickly, or were they always that big?

by Jennifer Walter

NASA/CXC/A. Hobart

Don’t let the term dwarf galaxy fool you.

Despite their size, these bodies can still host supermassive black holes, like the one at the center of the Milky Way.

However, it’s a lot trickier for astronomers to spot them.

Since dwarf galaxies have lower concentrations of stars, they tend to be dimmer. And sometimes black holes can be buried in their galaxies.

NASA/CXC/Dartmouth Coll./J. Parker & R. Hickox; Optical/IR: Pan-STARRS
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