Closest Supermassive Black Hole Pair to Earth Discovered, On Verge of Collision

Newsweek via msn ^ | 30 November 2021 | Robert Lea

[blueplum]

Astronomers have discovered the closest pair of supermassive black holes to Earth. Not only are they the most proximate objects of this type to our planet, but they are also closer to each other than any such pairing ever before observed.

This closeness indicates that the black holes, which are 89 million light-years away from Earth in the galaxy NGC 7727 in the constellation Aquarius, are moving towards each other and will eventually collide and merge, forming an even more massive black hole....

...The two supermassive black holes are separated by just 1,600 light-years, half the separation ...

[blueplum]

I have the same question as stated below - will we feel the gravitational wave when these two black holes collide, and how would it feel?:

https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/33228/is-there-a-way-to-calculate-how-much-damage-black-hole-merger-shockwaves-inflict

and I looked also here. I understand soft tissue moving differently than bone, but the whole timeshift thing I definitely don't understand: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/338912/how-would-a-passing-gravitational-wave-look-or-feel

Is there a short-er answer to, will we feel it and how will we feel it?

[DannyTN]

Well that’s going to suck.

[eclecticEel]

Considering it’s minimally 800 years from happening, no, I don’t think any of us will feel it.

[WMarshal]

Two black holes that are 1,600 Light years away from each other are so far apart from one another that when they do collide, if ever, no one will be around to give a 5hit.

[sonova]

Watch me care! Here goes...

[TigersEye]

Bronco Bama and Big Mike not getting along?

[Telepathic Intruder]

Not only will we not feel it, but the technology to even detect these gravitational waves is barely within our ability. The actual gravitational wave distortion from this distance will be less than the size of a single proton.

[Repeal The 17th]

[PTBAA]

So, didn’t that collision already happen about 89 million years ago?

[Cronos]

They are 89 million light years away from us. Any gravitational waves we might feel will be 89 million years in the future.

[algore]

“it’s minimally 800 years from happening”

The two supermassive black holes are separated by just 1,600 light-years

assuming that the holes are on an exact collision course (which is unlikely) and that the holes are each traveling at the speed of light (not possible as far as I know)

I am just going to roll the dice and say “Not Happening”

[eclecticEel]

I did say ‘minimally’.

[Beowulf9]

Cant read the article because it’s partly covered up by an ad. Anyone else having that problem?

[blueplum]

thanks :)

[CurlyDave]

Cant read the article because it’s partly covered up by an ad. Anyone else having that problem?

Even worse for me, when i try to scroll dow to keep reading the article starts to jump on the page. Makes me dizzy.

[BradyLS]

"So, didn’t that collision already happen about 89 million years ago?"

This closeness indicates that the black holes, which are 89 million light-years away from Earth in the galaxy NGC 7727...

It not only happened 89 million years ago, it happened in another galaxy far, far away!

[bgill]

Wasn’t this a math problem back in grade school except with trains?

[griffin]

Just because the holes are black doesn’t mean anything bad will happen, sheesh!

Get ovah uz white privrage!!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks blueplum.

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[Cyclops08]

89 million light-years away in another galaxy? The title is misleading.