Astronomers have uncovered elusive black holes, shedding light on the mysteries of the universe. (photo)

Astronomers have identified 2,444 active black holes residing in the centers of dwarf galaxies. Of these, 298 are believed by scientists to be elusive intermediate-mass black holes. They are considered the missing link between stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes. This represents the largest number of identified candidates for intermediate-mass black holes to date. This discovery is expected to enhance our understanding of how black holes accumulate mass that is billions of times greater than that of the Sun. The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal, reports Space.

Until now, astronomers had found only a few dozen candidates for intermediate-mass black holes, which remain elusive. However, using the DESI instrument mounted on the telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, astronomers have managed to identify nearly 300 such objects at once.

Intermediate-mass black holes lie between stellar-mass black holes (which have masses up to 100 times that of the Sun) and supermassive black holes (whose masses are thousands, millions, and billions of times greater than that of the Sun). Currently, astronomers speculate that these black holes may be the missing link in the growth process of black holes, as a stellar-mass black hole transforms into a supermassive black hole. In fact, astronomers still do not fully understand how black holes can become supermassive, despite numerous theories. Intermediate-mass black holes may help unlock one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.

Researchers gathered data on nearly 115,000 dwarf galaxies and discovered active black holes in 2,444 of them, which are consuming surrounding matter, releasing a significant amount of energy and light in the process. Calculations indicate that 298 of these black holes likely have an average mass ranging from 100 to 1,000 solar masses.

Now, scientists have acquired a wealth of new information that could shed light on the evolution of both massive black holes and the evolution of the various galaxies in which they reside.

It is worth noting that intermediate-mass black holes are very difficult to detect, as they do not exhibit the same level of activity as supermassive black holes found in the centers of large galaxies. Black holes can only be detected when they are actively consuming matter; otherwise, a black hole remains undetectable.