What is a supermassive black hole?

A supermassive black hole is a black hole with a mass of millions or billions of suns.

Supermassive black holes are found at the centers of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. They are much larger than stellar black holes, which form from the collapse of a single massive star. The exact mechanism for the formation of supermassive black holes is still unknown, but it is thought that they may form from the merging of smaller black holes or the collapse of a large gas cloud.

Supermassive black holes have a strong gravitational pull that can affect the motion of stars and gas in their vicinity. They can also emit powerful jets of radiation and particles that can be observed by astronomers. The study of supermassive black holes is important for understanding the evolution of galaxies and the universe as a whole.

One of the most famous supermassive black holes is Sagittarius A*, located at the center of the Milky Way. It has a mass of around 4 million suns and is surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. Observations of Sagittarius A* have provided evidence for the existence of black holes and have helped to refine our understanding of their properties.