Theorists can simulate the merger of a pair of supermassive black holes, as shown in the example above. But detecting such a system in reality has proven to be a more difficult task. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Scott Noble; Simulation data: d'Ascoli et al., 2018

Theorists can simulate the merger of a pair of supermassive black holes, as shown in the example above. But detecting such a system in reality has proven to be a more difficult task. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Scott Noble; Simulation data: d'Ascoli et al., 2018

Theorists can simulate the merger of a pair of supermassive black holes, as shown in the example above. But detecting such a system in practice has proven to be a more difficult task.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott Noble; Simulation data: d'Ascoli et al., 2018