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What is the name of the recently discovered black hole near Earth using the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope?
Question

What is the name of the recently discovered black hole near Earth using the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope?

A.

Gaia BH3

B.

Cygnus X-1

C.

Sagittarius A

D.

Messier 87

Correct option is A

The recently discovered black hole near Earth, identified using the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope, is named Gaia BH3.Located approximately 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Aquila, Gaia BH3 is the most massive stellar black hole known in the Milky Way, with a mass about 33 times that of the Sun.This discovery was made by analyzing Gaia's astrometric data, which revealed the gravitational influence of the black hole on its companion star.The findings were confirmed using data from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile and published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics in April 2024.

 Information Booster
  • Gaia BH3's Mass: 33 times that of the Sun, making it the largest known stellar black hole in our galaxy.

  • Location: Approximately 2,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquila.

  • Orbital Characteristics: The companion star orbits Gaia BH3 in an elliptical path every 11.6 years.

  • Companion Star: A metal-poor giant star with a mass about 76% that of the Sun.

  • Formation Theories: Gaia BH3 likely formed from the collapse of a massive, low-metallicity star, supporting theories about black hole formation in the early universe.

  • Significance: This discovery provides valuable insights into the formation and evolution of massive black holes in our galaxy.

Additional Information
  • Cygnus X-1: One of the first black holes discovered, Cygnus X-1 is located about 6,000 light-years from Earth and has a mass of approximately 21 times that of the Sun.

  •  Sagittarius A*: The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, with a mass of about 4 million times that of the Sun.

  • Messier 87: A supermassive black hole located in the galaxy M87, approximately 53 million light-years from Earth, with a mass of about 6.5 billion times that of the Sun.

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