An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A → dual supermassive black hole whose components are separated by a few parsecs.

→ binary; → supermassive; → black; → hole.

The outcome of a → merger process between two galaxies, each with its own central → supermassive black hole (SMBH), resulting in a remnant galaxy hosting two SMBHs. Simulations of → galaxy mergers show there should be lots of dual → active galactic nuclei (AGN) visible at less than 10 kpc separations. As of 2015 more than 100 known dual supermassive black holes have been found. See also → binary supermassive black hole.

→ dual; → supermassive; → black; → hole.

Having a mass highly exceeding a certain limit. → supermassive black hole, → supermassive neutron star, → supermassive star.

→ super-; → massive.

A → black hole of tremendous mass, equivalent to those of millions or even billions of stars, which is believed to exist and occupy the centers of many galaxies. The supermassive black hole residing in the center of our → Milky Way Galaxy is the object → Sgr A* with a mass of 4 x 10⁶→ solar masses within a radius of 100 → astronomical units.

→ supermassive; → black hole.

A → neutron star of mass above the typical value that is temporarily prevented from → collapseing into a → black hole because of its rapid → rotation.

→ supermassive; → neutron; → star.

A star with an initial mass over about 120 solar masses. The existence of such stars is the present Universe is not confirmed. Such stars were proposed as an explanation for very bright O type stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, but these are now known to be clusters of ordinary O stars. → very massive star; → massive star.

→ supermassive; → star.