Scientists think they detected the first known triple black hole system in the universe — and then watched it die

Chinese astronomers may have found the first triple black hole system after detecting a hidden supermassive black hole behind the 2019 GW190814 event. This event involved two merging black holes with unusually different masses, which puzzled scientists. Using simulations and reanalyzing data, researchers identified a signal indicating a third, much larger supermassive black hole that enabled the mismatched pair to merge. This discovery provides new insights into black hole formation and suggests the newly formed black hole will orbit its supermassive partner for billions of years before being consumed.