Astronomers have determined that approximately 35% of supermassive black holes in the universe are hidden behind dense clouds of gas and dust, rendering them nearly invisible to traditional observation methods. This conclusion was drawn from data collected by two space observatories—the infrared telescope IRAS and the X-ray observatory NuSTAR—which identified several hundred of these “invisible” black holes.
Supermassive black holes, residing at the centers of large galaxies, can have masses millions or even billions of times greater than that of the Sun. They are typically observable due to their accretion disks—rotating material around the black hole that emits radiation across various wavelengths. However, in some cases, these black holes are surrounded by such dense gas and dust clouds that even this radiation cannot escape, especially when the galaxy is positioned at an unfavorable angle relative to Earth.
Scientists found that while these clouds are opaque in visible light, they emit infrared and high-energy X-ray radiation. This allowed researchers to detect the hidden black holes, confirming they are more common than previously believed. Estimates suggest that roughly one-third of all supermassive black holes are obscured in this way.
This discovery significantly enhances our understanding of the prevalence and activity of black holes in the universe. Studying these hidden objects is crucial for unraveling the evolution of galaxies and their central regions.
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