They’re some of the biggest objects in the universe and we know so little about them.
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00:00Black holes, despite being some of the most massive objects in the universe, there's
00:08still a lot we don't know about them, like how they get so big.
00:11But now researchers say their understanding of this process is getting more complete,
00:15as they're finally starting to grasp how these cosmic objects might grow.
00:19Experts have now identified that not all black holes consume matter at the same rates.
00:23In fact, oftentimes, more actively accreting black holes are more active eaters.
00:27And researchers have also found that an active galactic nucleus, or one theorized to be a
00:31black hole at the center of a galaxy, can impact star formation by either promoting
00:35or quenching starburst activity.
00:37Which they're not really sure what role that process plays in the enlargement of black
00:40holes, but it's something they're investigating.
00:42But experts are also looking at the relativistic jets that are often ejected from the poles
00:46of supermassive black holes as well.
00:48These jets fire off at speeds close to the speed of light.
00:51And understanding how and why they form, especially since accretion rates and black hole consumption
00:56rates don't seem to matter, could hold a key in understanding how they grow in the
00:59first place.
01:00Getting us one step closer to understanding how black holes grow from only a couple of
01:04times the size of our sun, into supermassive black holes a few billion times that size.