Our Galaxy’s Largest Black Hole Has Been Discovered Close to Earth: Report
The Debrief recently reported that scientists from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission have located a black hole with a mass of 33 solar masses, which makes it the largest black hole of stellar origin ever discovered in the Milky Way galaxy.
The discovery, which was found after Gaia’s fourth data release, could shed new light on the formation and prevalence of black holes throughout the known universe.
The black hole, which has been named Gaia BH3, is part of a binary system located around 590 parsecs from Earth. The discovery is significant because of the black hole’s mass and because it challenges current models of stellar evolution and the formation of black holes, according to the report.
Black holes are mysterious regions in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape it. While they are not visible to the naked eye, they are usually identified by the high-energy radiation emitted when they interact with other stars or gas clouds.
However, the Debrief noted that Gaia BH3 does not interact with its companion star, which makes it a “dormant” black hole. It is only detectable through the gravitational influence it has on its companion. (Read more from “Our Galaxy’s Largest Black Hole Has Been Discovered Close to Earth: Report” HERE)
