Is There a Hidden Black Hole Behind Sagittarius A*?

Two researchers from UNAM analyzing the first image of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), have identified a third hot spot—an area with concentrated thermal energy or radiation—that may suggest the presence of a secondary black hole.

This possible second object interrupts the line of sight between Earth and Sagittarius A*, located at the center of our galaxy.

According to their analysis, if this supermassive black hole indeed orbits within the Milky Way, it may pass by again in approximately 26 years. However, astronomers Sergio Mendoza Ramos and Alejandro Cruz Osorio, from UNAM’s Institute of Astronomy, also note the possibility that it is a rogue black hole that may never be observed again.

Together with their students, Milton Santibáñez Armenta and Gustavo Magallanes Guijón analyzed the 2017 image and identified the third hot spot within Sagittarius A*, specifically inside the accretion disk, a structure composed of gas, dust, and plasma that orbits massive astronomical objects like black holes.

One of the most demanding aspects of the study was computational work. The data analysis required machines operating on between 17,000 and 18,000 graphical processing units (GPUs).