Astronomers have discovered that super-massive black holes — located at the centres of galaxies — are growing faster than thought.

For years, scientists had believed that super-massive black holes increased their mass in step with the growth of their host galaxy. However, new observations by Swinburne University of Technology have revealed a different behaviour. “Black holes have been growing faster than we thought,” Professor Alister Graham from Swinburne’s Technology’s Centre said.