Astronomers have recently discovered the largest stellar black hole in the Milky Way, named Gaia BH3. This black hole has a mass of 33 times that of the Sun and was identified 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.
The discovery of this high-mass black hole was unexpected, as it was found by chance while studying other celestial objects. Further observations from ground telescopes confirmed its presence, making it one of the most massive undetected stellar black holes ever discovered. Stellar black holes like Gaia BH3 are formed from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their life cycle. However, because it is too far away from its companion star to emit X-rays, Gaia BH3 is considered dormant.
Gaia has been instrumental in identifying other inactive black holes in our galaxy, including Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2. The space mission has been operating for over a decade now and has provided valuable data about the positions and motions of over 1.8 billion stars. With this new discovery, astronomers can gain even more insights into these mysterious phenomena that continue to baffle scientists today.
In summary, while we may not fully understand how these incredible objects form or interact with their surroundings, discoveries like this one help us gain a better understanding of their place in our galaxy and beyond.