List of most massive black holes
List
Listed black holes here have issues of measurement accuracies and more importantly the mass estimates are based on different kinds of evaluation methods which are all affected by their own individual systematics.

List of most massive black holes

Section Title: List
Table Section Text: Listed black holes here have issues of measurement accuracies and more importantly the mass estimates are based on different kinds of evaluation methods which are all affected by their own individual systematics.

Name	Solar mass (Sun = 1)	Notes

TON 618	6.6×1010	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

IC 1101	(4–10)×1010	Estimated from properties of the host galaxy; mass has not been measured directly.

S5 0014+81	4×1010	A 2010 paper suggested that a funnel collimates the radiation around the jet axis, creating an optical illusion of very high brightness, and thus a possible overestimation of the black hole mass.

SDSS J102325.31+514251.0	(3.31±0.61)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

H1821+643	3×1010	Nearest galaxy cluster harboring a quasar in its core.

NGC 6166	3×1010

APM 08279+5255	2.3×1010 1.0+0.17 −0.13×1010	Based on velocity width of CO line from orbiting molecular gas, and reverberation mapping using SiIV and CIV emission lines.

NGC 4889	(2.1±1.6)×1010	Best fit: the estimate ranges from 6 billion to 37 billion M☉.

Central black hole of Phoenix Cluster	2×1010	This black hole is continuously growing at the rate of ~60 M☉ per year.

SDSS J074521.78+734336.1	(1.95±0.05)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

OJ 287 primary	1.8×1010	A smaller 100 million M☉ black hole orbits this one in a 12-year period (see OJ 287 secondary below). But this measurement is in question due to the limited number and precision of observed companion orbits.

NGC 1600	(1.7±0.15)×1010	Unprecedentedly massive in relation of its location: an elliptical galaxy host in a sparse environment.

SDSS J08019.69+373047.3	(1.51±0.31)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

SDSS J115954.33+201921.1	(1.41±0.10)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

SDSS J075303.34+423130.8	(1.38±0.03)×1010	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J080430.56+542041.1	(1.35±0.22)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

Abell 1201 BCG	(1.3±0.6)×1010	Estimated from the strong gravitational lensing of a background galaxy behind the BCG. Beware of ambiguity between the BH mass determination and the galaxy cluster's dark matter profile.

SDSS J0100+2802	(1.24±0.19)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation. This object grew early in cosmic history (redshift 6.30).

SDSS J081855.77+095848.0	(1.20±0.06)×1010	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

NGC 1270	1.2×1010	Elliptical galaxy located in the Perseus Cluster. Also is a low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN).

SDSS J082535.19+512706.3	(1.12±0.20)×1010	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line

SDSS J013127.34-032100.1	(1.1±0.2)×1010	Estimated from accretion disk spectrum modelling.

PSO J334.2028+01.4075	1×1010	There are actually two black holes, orbiting at each other in a close pair with a 542-day period. The largest one is quoted, while the smaller one's mass is not defined.

Black hole of central elliptical galaxy of RX J1532.9+3021	1×1010

QSO B2126-158	1×1010

Holmberg 15A	1×1010	Mass estimates range from ~310 billion M☉ down to 3 billion M☉. They all rely on empirical scaling relations and are thus obtained from extrapolation and not from kinematical measurements.

NGC 1281	1×1010	Compact elliptical galaxy in the Perseus Cluster. Mass estimates range from 10 billion M☉ down to <5 billion M☉.

SDSS J015741.57-010629.6	(9.8±1.4)×109

NGC 3842	9.7+3.0 −2.5×109	Brightest galaxy in the Leo Cluster

SDSS J230301.45-093930.7	(9.12±0.88)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

SDSS J075819.70+202300.9	(7.8±3.9)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

CID-947	6.9+0.8 −1.2×109	Constitutes 10% of the total mass of its host galaxy. Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J080956.02+502000.9	(6.46±0.45)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J014214.75+002324.2	(6.31±1.16)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

Messier 87	7.22+0.34 −0.40×109 6.3×109	Central galaxy of the Virgo Cluster; notable for its 4,300 light-year long relativistic jet.

NGC 5419	7.2+2.7 −1.9×109	Estimated from the stellar velocity distribution. A secondary satellite SMBH may orbit around 70 parsecs.

SDSS J025905.63+001121.9	(5.25±0.73)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J094202.04+042244.5	(5.13±0.71)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

QSO B0746+254	5×109

QSO B2149-306	5×109

SDSS J090033.50+421547.0	(4.7±0.2)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

Messier 60	(4.5±1.0)×109

SDSS J011521.20+152453.3	(4.1±2.4)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

QSO B0222+185	4×109

Hercules A (3C 348)	4×109	Notable for its million light-year long relativistic jet.

Abell 1836-BCG	3.61+0.41 −0.50×109

SDSS J213023.61+122252.0	(3.5±0.2)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J173352.23+540030.4	(3.4±0.4)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

SDSS J025021.76-075749.9	(3.1±0.6)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

NGC 1271	3.0+1.0 −1.1×109	Compact elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the Perseus Cluster.

SDSS J030341.04-002321.9	(3.0±0.4)×109	Estimated from quasar MgII emission line correlation.

QSO B0836+710	3×109

SDSS J224956.08+000218.0	(2.63±1.21)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J030449.85-000813.4	(2.4±0.50)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

SDSS J234625.66-001600.4	(2.24±0.15)×109	Estimated from quasar Hβ emission line correlation.

ULAS J1120+0641	2×109	Also, currently on record as the second most distant quasar, at z=7.085

QSO 0537-286	2×109

NGC 3115	2×109

Q0906+6930	2×109	Most distant blazar, at z = 5.47

QSO B0805+614	1.5×109

Messier 84	1.5×109

Abell 3565-BCG	1.34+0.21 −0.19×109

NGC 7768	1.3+0.5 −0.4×109

NGC 1277	1.2×109	Once thought to harbor a black hole so large that it contradicted modern galaxy formation and evolutionary theories, re-analysis of the data revised it downward to roughly a third of the original estimate., and then one tenth.

Black hole of central elliptical galaxy of MS 0735.6+7421	1×109	Produced a colossal AGN outburst after accreting 600 million M☉ worth of material. BH mass not explicitly stated; just a lower limit.

QSO B225155+2217	1×109

QSO B1210+330	1×109

NGC 6166	1×109	Central galaxy of Abell 2199; notable for its hundred thousand light year long relativistic jet.

Cygnus A	1×109	Brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky as seen at frequencies above 1 GHz

Sombrero Galaxy	1×109	Bolometrically most luminous galaxy in the local universe and also the nearest billion-solar-mass black hole to Earth.

Markarian 501	9×108–3.4×109	Brightest object in the sky in very high energy gamma rays.

PG 1426+015	(1.298±0.385)×109 467740000

3C 273	(8.86±1.87)×108 550000000	Brightest quasar in the sky

ULAS J1342+0928	8×108	Most distant quasar − currently on record as the most distant quasar at z=7.54

Messier 49	5.6×108

NGC 1399	5×108	Central galaxy of the Fornax Cluster

PG 0804+761	(6.93±0.83)×108 190550000

PG 1617+175	(5.94±1.38)×108 275420000

PG 1700+518	7.81+1.82 −1.65×108 60260000

NGC 4261	4×108	Notable for its 88000 light-year long relativistic jet.

PG 1307+085	(4.4±1.23)×108 281 840 000

SAGE0536AGN	(3.5±0.8)×108	Constitutes 1.4% of the mass of its host galaxy

NGC 1275	3.4×108	Central galaxy of the Perseus Cluster

3C 390.3	(2.87±0.64)×108 338840000

II Zwicky 136	(4.57±0.55)×108 144540000

PG 0052+251	(3.69±0.76)×108 218780000

Messier 59	2.7×108	This black hole has a retrograde rotation.

PG 1411+442	(4.43±1.46)×108 79430000

Markarian 876	(2.79±1.29)×108 240000000

Andromeda Galaxy	2.3×108	Nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way

PG 0953+414	(2.76±0.59)×108 182000000

PG 0026+129	(3.93±0.96)×108 53700000

Fairall 9	(2.55±0.56)×108 79430000

Markarian 1095	(1.5±0.19)×108 182000000

Messier 105	1.4×108–2×108

Markarian 509	(1.43±0.12)×108 57550000

OJ 287 secondary	1×108	The smaller black hole orbiting OJ 287 primary (see above).

RX J124236.9-111935	1×108	Observed by the Chandra X-ray Observatory to be tidally disrupting a star.

Messier 85	1×108

NGC 5548	(6.71±0.26)×107 123000000

PG 1221+143	(1.46±0.44)×108 40740000

Messier 88	8×107

Messier 81 (Bode's Galaxy)	7×107

Markarian 771	(7.32±3.52)×107 7.586×107

Messier 58	7×107

PG 0844+349	(9.24±3.81)×107 2.138×107

Centaurus A	5.5×107	Also notable for its million light-year long relativistic jet.

Markarian 79	(5.24±1.44)×107 5.25×107

Messier 96	48000000	Estimates can be as low as 1.5 million solar masses

Markarian 817	(4.94±0.77)×107 4.365×107

NGC 3227	(4.22±2.14)×107 3.89×107

NGC 4151 primary	4×107

3C 120	5.55+3.14 −2.25×107 2.29×107

Markarian 279	(3.49±0.92)×107 4.17×107

NGC 3516	(4.27±1.46)×107 2.3×107

NGC 863	(4.75±0.74)×107 1.77×107

Messier 82 (Cigar Galaxy)	3×107	Prototype starburst galaxy.

Messier 108	2.4×107

M60-UCD1	2×107	Constitutes 15% of the mass of its host galaxy.

NGC 3783	(2.98±0.54)×107 9300000

Markarian 110	(2.51±0.61)×107 5620000

Markarian 335	(1.42±0.37)×107 6310000

NGC 4151 secondary	10000000

NGC 7469	(12.2±1.4)×106 6460000

IC 4329 A	9.90+17.88 −11.88×106 5010000

NGC 4593	5.36+9.37 −6.95×106 8130000

Messier 61	5×106

Messier 32	1.5×106–5×106	A dwarf satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Sagittarius A*	4.3×106	The black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Sentence(s)

Abell 1201 BCG is one of the most massive black holes.

final_sentence: Abell 1201 BCG is one of the most massive black holes.