Black hole pair embedded in middle of active galaxy MCG-03-34-064

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have confirmed a pair of supermassive black holes in tight proximity.

This is a Hubble Space Telescope visible-light image of the galaxy MCG-03-34-064. Hubble's sharp view reveals three distinct bright spots embedded in a white ellipse at the galaxy's centre (expanded in an inset image at upper right). Two of these bright spots are the source of strong X-ray emission, a telltale sign that they are supermassive black holes. The black holes shine brightly because they are converting infalling matter into energy, and blaze across space as active galactic nuclei. Their separation is about 300 light-years– the closest AGN pair seen in visible-light and X-ray wavelengths.. The third spot is a blob of bright gas. The blue streak pointing to the 5 o'clock position may be a jet fired from one of the black holes. The black hole pair is a result of a merger between two galaxies that will eventually collide.

[Image description: Hubble visible-light image of the galaxy MCG-03-34-064 that appears as an orange spiral. It has a blue centre (expanded in an inset image at upper right) with three bright spots embedded in a white ellipse at the galaxy’s centre. Two of these bright spots are the source of strong X-ray emission, a telltale sign that they are supermassive black holes converting matter to energy.]