ARIES-led international study tracks blazar OJ 287's binary supermassive black holes over a decade
The Department of Science and Technology said on 6 October 2026 that a study coordinated by ARIES, Nainital, with 106 scientists from 18 countries tracked the blazar OJ 287 — about 4 billion light years away, with two supermassive black holes in a 12-year orbit — from 2015 to 2025.
Summary
A multi-institutional study coordinated by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), tracked changes in the brightness and colour of the blazar OJ 287 over ten years, the DST said on 6 October 2026. OJ 287, about 4 billion light years from Earth, has two supermassive black holes orbiting each other in a 12-year cycle that produces double-peaked outbursts, a pattern first found in 1988 by Finnish scientists. Led by Dr Alok C. Gupta of ARIES, 106 scientists from 18 countries and 48 institutions used about two dozen telescopes from 2015 to 2025 and estimated the central black hole mass at no less than 3.89 billion solar masses.
Key facts
- Object
- OJ 287 – blazar with a binary supermassive black hole system
- Distance
- About 4 billion light years
- Orbit
- Two black holes orbit each other in about 12 years (double-peaked outbursts)
- Coordinating institute
- ARIES, Nainital (autonomous institute under DST)
- Lead scientist
- Dr Alok C. Gupta
- Team
- 106 scientists, 18 countries, 48 institutions
- Observation period
- 2015–2025, about two dozen telescopes
- Central black hole mass
- At least 3.89 billion solar masses
- Periodicity discovered
- 1988, by Finnish scientists
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The decade-long study of the blazar OJ 287, announced by DST in October 2026, was coordinated by which Indian institute?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital
OJ 287, studied by an ARIES-led team, contains two supermassive black holes orbiting each other in a cycle of about:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — 12 years