Merger events between
black holes can deliver a "kick" powerful enough to send a black hole spinning out of its galaxy.
Scientists discovered that
the black hole created in that collision and merger had been sent hurtling through space at 3 million mph
When two black holes
collide, they leave behind a more massive, remnant black hole.
When black holes orbit
each other, they emit gravitational waves — essentially gravitational radiation
That carry away
energy and angular momentum as they ripple through the fabric of space.
These emissions cause
the orbit to shrink, leading to a collision and merger of the black holes.