How are black holes related to galaxies?

Question

Layla Anderson · Accepted Answer

Supermassive black holes are at the heart of every galaxy universe. But why? This an intense area of study and we aren’t sure yet, but there are some conjectures:
- It could be that the dark matter halo that surrounds every galaxy serves to focus and concentrate material as the galaxy was first forming. And some of this material became the supermassive black hole, while the rest became the stars of the galaxy.
- It is also possible that the black hole formed first, and collected the rest of the galaxy around it with it's immense gravity

It's important to remember that supermassive black holes are not the same as black holes, which are defined as "stellar mass black holes" when a star that is at least five times larger than the Sun runs out of fuel and collapses in on itself, forming a black hole. Research is being done to determine how supermassive black holes form and their roles in the creation and maintenance of galactic structures.

Claire Anctil · Answer

undefined Since black holes are frequently found at the centers of galaxies, there is a connection between the formation of black holes and the evolution of galaxies. The gravitational pull of black holes can affect the motion of stars and gas within galaxies, influencing their structure and dynamics. Additionally, the mass of the black hole is thought to correlate with the mass of the central bulge of the galaxy.