Astronomers have identified, for the first time, a pair of supermassive black holes orbiting extremely close at the center of Markarian 501. By analyzing decades of radio data, scientists detected two distinct particle jets tracing a rapid 121-day orbit.<br /><br />This rare system offers direct evidence of how black holes grow through mergers and provides a unique opportunity to study low-frequency gravitational waves before an eventual cosmic collision.<br /><br />Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions &amp; the latest astronomy breakthroughs.<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.