Hubble finds black hole helping form stars in dwarf galaxy

We have always had the idea that a black hole is something extremely destructive, being one of the greatest dangers in the Universe. But one of the most recent discoveries may prove otherwise.

NASA's Hubble Telescope has discovered the existence of a black hole that acts very differently. And that's what we're going to talk about today! 

In today's content, we will better understand the black hole that, instead of causing destruction, is helping to form stars.

What is a black hole?

Black holes are regions of space that, because they have a very intense gravitational field, nothing can escape their orbit.

After a black hole forms, its gravity becomes so strong that all matter that is attracted to it is compressed until it is completely destroyed. It gives you butterflies just thinking about it, doesn't it? 

A black hole is recorded as helping to form stars

Unlike what we imagine, the record made by Hubble shows a black hole acting in an atypical way.

Scientists had access to the record, which shows Henize 2-10, a dwarf galaxy – galaxies that consist of a smaller cluster of stars and usually orbit around larger galaxies – and noticed some very curious activity.

Unlike black holes found in large galaxies, this black hole has a very curious action: instead of swallowing stars – as expected of a black hole – it is helping in the formation of new stars.

Henize 2-1, the dwarf galaxy in question, is located about 30 million light-years from Earth. And, like many other galaxies, it also has a black hole. But what is striking is this different behavior from larger black holes.

How can a black hole help form stars?

You're probably wondering how black holes, which are responsible for destroying so much of the universe, can help form stars. That's what the scientists behind this are trying to find out.

Until now, the pattern of behavior observed in other black holes has been to absorb and destroy everything that enters their gravitational field. 

What is known so far about the activity of this black hole?

At first, what could be observed with the discovery is that there is a type of gas flow between the black hole found in Henize 2-10 and a star formation that is taking place within the dwarf galaxy.

This flow in question extends from the black hole to the region where this formation is, contributing to the storm responsible for the “birth” of new stars. 

Furthermore, through the images obtained, it was possible to determine that this flow of gases that moves from the black hole towards the stars moves at around 1.6 million kilometers per hour. 

And, according to scientists, although it seems that the black hole was responsible for the origin of the star formation, that was not what happened. It is estimated that this flow of gases coming from it began after the star cluster had already formed. 

For scientists to reach a conclusion and better understand this extremely curious relationship, it is necessary to carry out several other studies and research on the discovery. 

But, analyzing what has already been found, it is believed that the relationship between the black hole and the cluster of stars present in Henize 2-10 can be compared to the function of an umbilical cord.

Studies will help discover the origin of black holes

In addition to understanding how this relationship between black holes and star formation works, the discovery in question was also important to show that even galaxies considered dwarfs can also harbor black holes.

Furthermore, through this discovery, the scientists and astronomers responsible hope to obtain more answers regarding supermassive black holes - a specific class, which have a mass millions or even billions of times greater than the mass of the Sun and exist at the center of almost all large galaxies - and how these giants originate.

Meet Hubble, NASA's telescope

And we cannot forget the person largely responsible for the discovery of this peculiar black hole: Hubble. This unmanned satellite has a large NASA space telescope for visible and infrared light. Launched by NASA in April 1990, Hubble is a satellite responsible for capturing several important images for studies related to the universe.

Among the records made by Hubble are: supernovae, galaxies, groups of stars, among other space events.

Meet Henize 2-10, the dwarf galaxy that is home to this atypical phenomenon

We couldn't end this material without also talking about Henize 2-10, the dwarf galaxy that, together with the black hole, is at the center of this important and curious discovery.

Henize 2-10 – named after astronomer and astronaut Karl Gordon Henize – is notable for being a galaxy with an intense star formation process. With such a high star formation rate, scholars have compared its current condition to the beginning of the universe.

And it's not just today that the dwarf galaxy has been the target of research. The Heinzen 2-10 galaxy was once the center of attention of astronomers when they tried to discover whether it also harbored central supermassive black holes, as is the case in so many other galaxies spread throughout the universe.

Conclusion

With this discovery, a new chapter of studies begins. By focusing on the presence of the black hole in Henize 2-10 and the curious relationship that the dwarf galaxy has with it, astronomers and scientists will be able to better study the processes that are part of the formation of a galaxy and, perhaps, even better understand the relationship between black holes as we know them and smaller galaxies, such as Henize 2-10.

 It is up to us to wait for the next chapters of this scientific “soap opera”.

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