Astronomers have recently discovered the most massive stellar black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, located just 2,000 light years away from Earth. The black hole, named Gaia BH3, has a mass 33 times that of the Sun, making it a significant celestial find.
The discovery was made using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory, which detected the black hole’s presence by observing the unusual motion of its companion star. Further verification was obtained through data from the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory and other ground-based telescopes.
Typically, black holes found in the Milky Way are only about ten times the mass of the Sun. The newfound black hole surpasses this, as even the next most massive star black hole known in our galaxy, Cygnus X-1, is only 21 solar masses.
What makes Gaia BH3 even more extraordinary is its proximity to Earth. Located in the constellation Aquila, it is the second-closest known black hole to our planet. This discovery has surprised astronomers, with Pasquale Panuzzo from the National Centre for Scientific Research noting, “No one was expecting to find a high-mass black hole lurking nearby, undetected so far.”
The scientists involved in the discovery are astounded by the size and location of Gaia BH3, considering it a once-in-a-lifetime find. This revelation sheds light on the mysterious and complex nature of black holes, expanding our understanding of the universe and the cosmic phenomena within it.