Astronomers recently made a groundbreaking discovery in the Milky Way galaxy – the largest stellar black hole ever found, named Gaia BH3. This massive black hole has a mass 33 times that of the Sun and was identified through data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Gaia BH3 is located 2,000 light years away from Earth in the Aquila constellation.
The discovery of Gaia BH3 was unexpected, as it was found by chance while astronomers were studying data from the Gaia mission. By analyzing the orbits of stars and measuring the mass of their invisible companion, astronomers were able to confirm that Gaia BH3 is indeed a high-mass black hole. This discovery, according to Pasquale Panuzzo of the National Centre for Scientific Research, is a rare occurrence in research.
Stellar black holes are formed from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their life cycle and are smaller than supermassive black holes found in distant galaxies. Gaia BH3 is considered a “dormant” black hole, meaning it emits no X-rays due to its distance from its companion star. Despite this, Gaia’s telescope was able to identify Gaia BH3, along with two other inactive black holes, Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2.
The Gaia mission has been operating for the past 10 years and has delivered a 3D map of over 1.8 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This groundbreaking discovery of Gaia BH3 showcases the incredible advancements in astronomy and our understanding of the universe.