Rare trio of supermassive black holes found

Observations of triad showcase new way to find black hole pairs

THREE’S A CROWD  Three supermassive black holes, seen in an artist’s illustration, include two only 450 light-years apart (blue), with electron jets streaming out in spirals. The third black hole (red) sits 24,000 light-years away and produces straight jets.

R. Deane, NASA Goddard

Where two distant galaxies collide, three supermassive black holes engage in a gravitational dance.