Supermassive black holes are seen as sources of wanton cosmic destruction, but there may be more to their powerful influence than first meets the eye.

Black holes might all have hearts of pure darkness, but many cloak themselves in rings of fire that blaze like little else in the cosmos. That doesn't mean all are detectable. An analysis of galaxies surveyed by a large international consortium of researchers suggests the glow surrounding a third of all supermassive black holes might be hidden by a thick pall of dust and gas.

Black holes are notorious for gobbling up, well, everything. They're icons of destruction, ruthless voids, ambivalent abysses from which nothing can return — at least, according to pop culture. But black holes have another side: Astrophysicists have seen powerful jets,

Rather than relying on a cheek swab or a little blood, however, these cosmic DNA tests utilize tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves, first proposed by Albert Einstein 110 years ago.

Astronomers have long been fascinated by the enigmatic behavior of black holes and their role in the cosmos. These colossal entities are known for their immense gravitational pull, devouring anything that strays too close,