Surprising Science — October 11, 2010

Which Came First, the Galaxy or the Black Hole?

At the heart of every galaxy like our own Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole, but scientists are unsure which develops first.

Michio Kaku

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Every Wednesday Michio Kaku will be answering reader questions about physics and futuristic science. If you have a question for Dr. Kaku, just post it in the comment section below and check back on Wednesdays to see if he answers it.

Today, Dr. Kaku addresses a question posed by Andy Speight: Are the supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies involved in the formation of those galaxies?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Starts With A Bang

Stars alone can’t explain black holes, JWST data reveals

Today, supermassive black holes and their host galaxies tell a specific story in terms of mass. But JWST reveals a different story early on.

An artist's illustration of a supermassive black hole with an accretion disk and relativistic jets.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when supermassive black holes arose?

As early as we’ve been able to identify them, the youngest galaxies seem to have large supermassive black holes. Here’s how they were made.

Starts With A Bang

Most distant black hole raises a huge cosmic question

With JWST, Chandra, and gravitational lensing combined, evidence has emerged for the earliest black hole ever. And wow, is it a surprise!

Starts With A Bang

Our best black hole image ever, inside and out

Some 55 million light-years away lies the giant galaxy Messier 87. Its supermassive black hole, inside and out, looks better than ever.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Could a black hole eventually swallow Earth?

The odds are slim, but the consequences would be literally world-ending. There really is a chance of a black hole devouring the Earth.

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