A mysterious object in space has baffled scientists. Previously the object was believed to be a supernova but scientists think it could be a black hole.
Experts are seeking a definitive answer about the object, which needs further observation. The scientists suggest that whatever the object is, it is quite unique. In case the object is a supernova, it is an exclusive one as it has been radiating for years, while other supernovas burn out just within a year.
If the object is a black hole, then it seems that it formed as a result of a collision between two black holes.
Michael Koss, a postdoctoral fellow with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the lead researcher of the object, revealed that it can be a new and rare breed of supernova that has never been seen before. Koss said that he and his research team are excited to investigate the object further.
Koss started looking at the mysterious object, dubbed the SDSS1133, in 2010. Prior observations of the object suggested it as a supernova. However, Koss examined images of the object from the 1950s and found that SDSS1133 was visible then also. Moreover, it has become brighter in the last few decades.
Recent observations of the object were made with the help of multiple instruments that included NASA's SWIFT telescope. Koss suggests that the SDSS1133 could be a black hole.
Scientists calculate that SDSS1133 is located 2,600 light-years away from the core of the dwarf galaxy Markarian 177, the object's host galaxy, which is located in the bowl of the Big Dipper, within the Ursa Major constellation. Observations suggest that the galaxy experienced significant disturbance recently.
Laura Blecha, an Einstein Fellow in the University of Maryland's department of astronomy, who is also the co-author of the research, says that the object is an aftermath of two small galaxies merging.
"Astronomers searching for recoiling black holes have been unable to confirm a detection, so finding even one of these sources would be a major discovery," says Blecha.
Koss explains that the collision of black holes produces one of the biggest gravitational waves in the space. If the SDSS1133 was formed due to a collision between two black holes, then there are many dwarf galaxies around our solar system, which can help scientists detect more of such collisions.
The scientists will continue to examine the SDSS1133 to find exactly what it is.
