Astronomers have discovered a cosmic marvel in our galactic backyard. Gaia-BH3 is the most massive black hole formed from a stellar explosion ever discovered in the Milky Way Galaxy. Until now, the record mass of a black hole in our galaxy was held by one with a mass about 20 times of the sun. Located just 2,000 light-years away, the Gaia-BH3 has a mass 33 times that of our Sun. This discovery can be credited to the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission which also involved UCL researchers.
The Gaia-BH3 wasn’t discovered by direct observation but rather by analysis of the movement of a neighboring star which is now recognized as its companion. The lead author Pasquatle Panuzzo of NNRS, Observatory de Paris compares this to encountering a mythical creature. He describes, “It’s a real unicorn. This is the kind of discovery you make once in your research life.”
Astronomers are continuing to search for more anomalies in our galaxy. The Gaia-BH3 marks a significant chapter in space exploration. This massive discovery promotes the possibility of many other black holes being discovered. Currently, there are around 50 black holes in our galaxy, but it is predicted there are thousands to millions of them.
