U.S.WHAT JUST HAPPENED

Two monster black holes could collide in just 100 years

Astronomers say a newly seen particle jet points to a second black hole at the center of galaxy Mrk 501, orbiting every 121 days.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Meet the Pressure
Published 10:46 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Photo: ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al.… · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from Meet the Pressure at 10:46 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are ScienceDaily's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al.… · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Supermassive black hole — Photo: ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al.… · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by ScienceDaily: “Two monster black holes could collide in just 100 years”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 10:46 AM ET on Meet the Pressure, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

ScienceDailyTwo monster black holes could collide in just 100 years

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentHere's the one-sentence version: astronomers think two supermassive black holes are circling each other and could merge in as little as a hundred years.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA hundred years. So I have time to clean my room.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe room is not the issue, Kenji. This is at the center of a galaxy called Mrk five-oh-one, and it is nowhere near your room.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, so what actually happened this morning? Did somebody see them?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNot exactly. Astronomers spotted a previously unseen jet of particles, and it points to a likely second black hole in that galaxy, according to ScienceDaily.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the evidence is a jet nobody had noticed before.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYes, and the researchers call it compelling evidence. That is a careful phrase, and I would like you to hear the careful part.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentHeard. Careful. What's the orbit like?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe observations suggest the pair completes one orbit every one hundred twenty-one days. That is about four months for a lap.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFour months. That's a quarterly release schedule.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt is an orbit, not a release schedule. That goes on the list.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhat list?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYour mistakes. It's long. Now, the background: when galaxies merge, their central black holes can end up in the same neighborhood and slowly spiral inward.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo who does this affect? Do we get a front-row seat?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNobody on Earth is affected today. The data does not say anything about effects here, and I will not invent any.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo there's nothing in it for us, but astronomers are treating it like the discovery of the year.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFor us, yes. For astronomers, it's a rare chance to study a merger long before it happens.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIs there a skeptical take? Somebody has to say it's not happening.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe caveat is in the wording.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentDepending on the masses, the merger could come in as little as a hundred years, so it could also be later.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it's an estimate with a floor and no ceiling.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFor the one-sentence version again: two black holes are probably orbiting each other, and they could merge in as little as a hundred years.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWatch for more observations of that jet.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo I can still cancel my plans for the century, right?

▶ Watch BBN liveMore U.S. →

More Shorts

All videos →

Photo: Rillke · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
▶ As it aired · U.S.Tapeworm drug could help treat incurable disease that affects 190…Read the story
Photo: Kevin Paul · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · U.S.Jenna Dewan's DWTS Dedication Night Partner RevealedRead the story
▶ Interviews · U.S.CBS Sunday Morning: Farmer Who Never Watches Knows the Whole ShowAbout this segment
▶ As it aired · U.S.Oregon Zoo's Elephants Tackle Huge PumpkinsRead the story
Photo: Dmitryshein · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
▶ As it aired · U.S.Mamdani's NYPD use-of-force review draws a rebuttalRead the story
▶ Interviews · U.S.Trump's 35-Race Midterm Tour: The Vision Board Has 41 CitiesAbout this segment
Photo: Mathias Krumbholz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
▶ As it aired · U.S.Green star draws a fresh look as a giant lily is spotted from orbitRead the story
▶ As it aired · U.S.Lahore Zoo’s adoption scheme raises questions over animal welfareRead the story
▶ Interviews · U.S.England's Coastal Path: Publicist's Walking Claim Falls ApartAbout this segment
Photo: Rosa Pineda · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · U.S.Slotkin urges prosecutions to deter young Trump staffersRead the story