A massive black hole has been discovered in the unlikeliest of places: at the center of a miniscule, ultra compact dwarf galaxy.

The galaxy known as M60-UCD1 contains a sinister black hole so dense it weighs the mass of 21 million suns, said a study published in the journal, Nature,

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This tiny galaxy registered on the astronomer's radar screens because it emits an unusual X-ray signature that led astronomers to initially believe it was a really massive black hole or even a neutron star.

Astronomers used the Gemini telescope in Hawaii with the aid of NASA's Space Telescope to figure out the motions of the numerous stars in the galaxy where they found M60-UCD1.

A most unusual feature of this dwarf galaxy is that it only measures 0.2 percent the size of the Milky Way. In contrast, the black hole at its center weighs about 15 percent of the galaxy's total mass. 

According to astronomers, this small galaxy used to consist of 100 million stars. It dwindled in size when it came into contact with a much larger galaxy that ate away its outer boundaries.

What remained was a dwarf galaxy with a massive black hole at its center.

Galaxies have been known to have black holes but this discovery gives new insights to astronomers who will tend to look for black holes in the unlikeliest of galaxies.

This pivotal discovery can multiply the chances of finding black holes across the universe, according to Anil Seth from the University of Utah and lead author of the study. Ultra compact galaxies such as this particular dwarf can be found scattered around the universe and it's highly likely that black holes can be found in their centers.

Seth adds that black holes hold an important key to discovering the origin of the universe, and how these affect how galaxies evolve and how stars form.

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