With the help of a nearby galaxy, scientists discovered a supermassive blackhole.

A black hole is a region of space with a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. They are devoid of any light because they pull matter in too fast for light to be emitted. In 2019, a black hole in the Messier 87 galaxy became the first ever to have its event horizon photographed. This is where the velocity needed to escape the black hole finally exceeds the speed of light, and the blurry photograph features a brilliant ring of light where this takes place. It’s one of the most accurate blackhole photo to date. Since then, scientists have engineered a new way to find black holes with the help of galaxies outside of our own.

Last week, a black hole with a mass 30 billion times that of our sun was found with a technique called gravitational lensing. To do this, scientists use a neighboring galaxy as a magnifying glass that enables them to bend light from distant objects. It was with this that they were able to spot a supermassive black hole hundreds of millions of light years away.

The black hole poses no danger to us, existing simply to excite researchers studying why they appear, how long they live, and what they do. It’s discovery also aides scientists theorizing on just how big a black hole can get, with this newest one being at the upper limits of the boundaries currently set.

Gravitational lensing also allows scientists to study inactive black holes. Before, they could only find those labelled active (still pulling in light and matter.) Because of this, most black holes we know about are active, meaning most of what you learned about about them in science class is only half the story. Now, the possibility of finding countless inactive and supermassive black holes – and gleaning the knowledge they have to offer – is well within reach.