Black hole breakthrough: Most massive black hole in cosmos is found – 'Shouldn't exist'

As a result, astronomers might have to rethink how black holes are born.

Professor Stephen Fairhurst, Director of the Gravity Exploration Institute, Cardiff University, said: “Once again, the latest gravitational wave observation challenges our understanding of the Universe.

“We have observed the merger of the most massive pair of black holes to date, including one which is too massive to have formed directly from the collapse of a massive star.

“Future observations will tell us how common these massive black holes are, and provide further clues to their origins.

“However, they’re also sure to provide new and unexpected observations to challenge our theories in new ways.”