Astronomers have made an unexpected discovery of the largest stellar black hole in the Milky Way, named Gaia BH3. This black hole has a mass 33 times that of the Sun and was detected through data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. The telescope used by Gaia provided precise positions of stars in the sky, allowing astronomers to measure the mass of Gaia BH3.
Gaia BH3 is located 2,000 light years away from Earth in the Aquila constellation. However, what makes this discovery even more intriguing is that it was found by chance. Further observations from ground telescopes confirmed the presence of this high-mass black hole, which was previously undetected. Stellar black holes like Gaia BH3 are formed from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their life.
The discovery of Gaia BH3 adds to our understanding of black holes and their presence in our galaxy. While it is considered dormant because it is too far away from its companion star to emit X-rays, further research could provide valuable insights into these mysterious phenomena. The space mission has been operating for ten years now, providing valuable data about the positions and motions of over 1.8 billion stars, making it an essential tool for astronomers studying our universe.
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