Astronomers have discovered what they say is among the most massive black holes ever detected.

The cosmic behemoth is close to the theoretical upper limit of what's possible in the universe, and is 10,000 times heavier than the black hole at the centre of our own galaxy.

It's also 35 billion times as large as our sun, which makes it able to be classified as an ultramassive black hole.

Carlos Roberto de Melo-Carneiro, who discovered the black hole, told CBC News it was "among the most massive black holes ever measured."

He says it's also another key to understanding how black holes are formed and how they can be studied in the future.

Carlos Roberto de Melo-Carneiro is the lead researcher on a recent paper identifying a black hole that is among the most massive black holes ever measure

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