For the very first time, astronomers have obtained a direct radio image showing two supermassive black holes orbiting one another in the heart of quasar OJ287, located about 5 billion light-years from Earth.
Using a network of Earth-based radio telescopes combined with the RadioAstron satellite, the team achieved ultra-high resolution — enough to distinguish two separate sources of emission linked to each black hole.
One striking finding was that the jet emitted by the smaller black hole appears twisted, likely because of its rapid orbital motion around its massive companion.
This discovery provides the clearest observational evidence yet for binary black hole systems, a phenomenon previously inferred mostly via indirect signals like gravitational waves.
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space.com