This Chandra image shows the central region of the M82 galaxy and contains two bright X-ray sources -- identified in the labeled version -- of special interest. New studies with Chandra and ESA's XMM-Newton show that these two sources may be intermediate-mass black holes, with masses in between those of the stellar-mass and supermassive variety. These "survivor" black holes avoided falling into the center of the galaxy and could be examples of the seeds required for the growth of supermassive black holes in galaxies, including the one in the Milky Way.
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Revised: April 28, 2010