TON 618 size and scale context

TON 618 is a hyperluminous quasar powered by one of the most massive black holes known. We see it from a far younger universe, and the quasar is so overwhelmingly bright that the galaxy around it is largely lost in the glare. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.

Solar SystemPlanetary system·9 billion km

M87*Supermassive black hole·38 billion km

Holm 15A*Ultramassive black hole·236 billion km

TON 618Ultramassive black hole·390 billion km

Phoenix A*Ultramassive black hole candidate·590 billion km

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Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

About

Scale of Space is a scroll-based journey through the universe, placing objects on a single logarithmic scale so you can compare size across an unbroken range.

Guides turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

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Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Open Scale of Space Browse all comparisons

Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

About

Scale of Space is a scroll-based journey through the universe, placing objects on a single logarithmic scale so you can compare size across an unbroken range.

Guides turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

Views

Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Open Scale of Space Browse all comparisons

Black holes

Holm 15A*

Holm 15A* is the ultramassive black hole in the central galaxy of the Abell 85 galaxy cluster, measured at about 40 billion solar masses. That makes its event horizon enormous, while Holm 15A’s unusually diffuse center preserves evidence of the mergers that helped build it.

Scale fact236 billion kmevent horizon diameter

Object class: Ultramassive black hole
Host: Holm 15A, Abell 85
Mass: ~40 billion solar masses

Black holes

TON 618

Scale fact390 billion kmevent horizon diameter

Object class: Ultramassive black hole
Mass: ~40.7 billion solar masses

Black holes

Phoenix A*

Phoenix A* is the central black hole candidate in the Phoenix Cluster, an extreme cool-core galaxy cluster where the active nucleus has not fully shut down star formation. Its often quoted horizon scale comes from a model-based mass estimate near 100 billion solar masses, not from a direct orbital measurement.

Scale fact590 billion kmevent horizon diameter

Object class: Ultramassive black hole candidate
Host: Phoenix Cluster
Mass: ~100 billion solar masses