For around ten years, the European space telescope Gaia has been creating the most accurate 3D map of the Milky Way to date. To do this, Gaia records billions of stars in our galaxy and measures, among other things, their position, movement and brightness.
Most massive stellar black hole in the galaxy
In this huge collection of data, researchers have now discovered something unusual: the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy to date. The celestial object known as Gaia BH3 is 33 times more massive than our Sun.
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To put it into perspective: the largest black hole in our galaxy to date, Cygnus X-1, has “only” a good 20 solar masses Standard writes. Gaia BH3 is therefore a third heavier than the previous record holder.
Only 1,900 light-years from Earth
Sea of Esa The average mass of known black holes of stellar origin in our galaxy is about ten times the mass of our Sun.
In addition, at a distance of a good 1,900 light-years from Earth, the new discovery is as close as any other known black hole. Gaia BH1 is only 1,560 light-years away from us.
Due to its sheer mass, the new discovery is the most appropriate Study Participating astronomer Pasquale Panuzzo from the Observatoire de Paris was so special. As a researcher, you only make a discovery like this once in your life, says Panuzzo.
Ancient tumbling giant star provides clues
To determine the mass of Gaia BH3, the researchers used data from ground-based observatories that revealed the necessary properties of the companion star. This is an old giant star that formed in the first two billion years after the Big Bang.
The star was probably part of a small galaxy or globular cluster that was swallowed by our galaxy over eight billion years ago. The researchers discovered the black hole because it causes the companion star to undergo a noticeable wobbling motion.
Theory of the formation of black holes
The fact that this star has very few elements heavier than hydrogen and helium also supports a theory for the formation of massive black holes of stellar origin such as Gaia BH3.
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The researchers assume that the star that became a black hole was also poor in elements. Such metal-poor stars are likely to lose less mass over their lifetime than others. Therefore, more material remains from which massive black holes can form after the star’s demise.
Even more Gaia data from the end of 2025
Even more previously unknown black holes are likely to be found with the next publication of the Gaia data, as the researchers suspect. This should not take place until the end of 2025 at the earliest.
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