For the first time, astronomers have identified a dormant supermassive black hole located far from the center of its host galaxy. The discovery was possible only because the hidden object briefly revealed itself by tearing apart a passing star and producing a powerful burst of light.
Researchers from the University of Maryland identified the dormant black hole about 9.3 kiloparsecs, or roughly 30,000 light-years, from the center of its host galaxy. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 27, 2026.
