Black hole may construct its own galactic home

A homeless black hole might be building a new galaxy to live in, new observations suggest.

The find could be the latest clue in a longstanding mystery in astronomy: whether supermassive black holes or the galaxies that house them form first.

“If it is true, it is very surprising, as it gives a whole new role to the black holes in the universe — not as devourers but as creators of galaxies,” comments Padelis Papadopoulos of the University of Bonn in Germany. The new observations, which were published online and in the December 1 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics, could represent a shift in galaxy