An all-sky map of half a million supermassive black holes
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has released its 20th data set, providing an unprecedented map of 500,000 supermassive black holes. This project combines optical spectroscopy with X-ray data to better understand the growth and physics of active galactic nuclei.
Why it matters
This data release represents a significant milestone in astrophysics, offering researchers the most comprehensive look at high-energy cosmic phenomena to date.
The Black Hole Mapper reaches a milestone with its first southern hemisphere optical observations, coordinated eROSITA X-ray identification, and multi-epoch tracking of accreting black holes across the universe.
APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY, NM & LAS CAMPANAS OBSERVATORY, CHILE — The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) announces Data Release 20 (DR20) , marking a landmark expansion in the study of accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). As part of the fifth generation of the survey (SDSS-V), the Black Hole Mapper (BHM) program is providing unprecedented insights into the masses, growth, and physics of quasars and active galactic nuclei (AGN) across cosmic time.
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