London, England – The discovery of a massive black hole, Gaia-BH3, in close proximity to Earth has sent shockwaves through the scientific community. This landmark finding, made possible by the European space telescope Gaia, marks the first instance of a stellar-mass black hole with such origins being detected near our planet.
Gaia-BH3, with a mass of 33 times that of the sun, is situated just 2,000 light years away from Earth, making it the second-closest black hole ever identified. The closest black hole, Gaia-BH1, lies 1,560 light-years from our planet and has a mass roughly 9.6 times that of the sun.
The detection of dormant black holes, like Gaia-BH3, poses a unique challenge for astronomers due to their lack of light emission. However, Gaia’s precision in measuring the motion of stars has proven instrumental in uncovering these hidden celestial entities.
Through its Black Hole Task Force, Gaia managed to pinpoint Gaia-BH3 by observing an unusual wobble in the path of a giant star in the Aquila constellation. This wobble indicated a gravitational dance with a dormant black hole of exceptional mass, separated by a distance akin to that between the sun and Neptune in our solar system.
The discovery of Gaia-BH3, with its 33 solar masses, provides concrete evidence that stellar-mass black holes of this magnitude do exist, challenging previous assumptions. The system’s companion star, a metal-poor sub-giant, sheds light on the origins and evolution of such celestial bodies.
The implications of Gaia-BH3’s discovery extend beyond its close proximity to Earth, offering key insights into the formation and characteristics of dormant stellar black holes. As scientists eagerly await Gaia’s next data release, which promises further revelations, the quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos continues.