Black Hole: Astronomers have discovered the largest stellar black hole in our galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered the largest stellar black hole in our Milky Way. Its mass is 33 times that of the Sun. Stellar black holes are formed when a star loses its gravity. The discovered black hole is named Gaia BH3, and it was found while analyzing data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Pasquale Panuzzo, an astronomer at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris, stated that the Gaia mission aims to map our Milky Way.
The black hole named BH3 is located in the Aquila constellation, approximately 2 thousand light-years away from Earth. Panuzzo mentioned that the telescope used in the Gaia mission can precisely locate stars in the sky. While studying the data, astronomers discovered the black hole, which is about 33 times larger than our Sun. Scientists found that Gaia BH3 is the most massive stellar black hole ever discovered.
Panuzzo expressed surprise at the discovery, stating that no one expected to find such a massive black hole hidden in the galaxy. He remarked that such discoveries occur only once in a researcher’s lifetime. Stellar black holes were detected when scientists observed a star orbiting around them, showing erratic motion. Although the star was smaller than the Sun, it was orbiting around an invisible object, leading scientists to infer the presence of a stellar black hole.
Stellar black holes form at the end of a star’s life when it collapses due to gravity loss. They are smaller than supermassive black holes.