The scientists confirm the existence of a single black hole 5,000 light -years away from Earth, moving at a speed of 51 km per second.
Simulate a black hole in the universe. Image: NASA/Wikimedia Commons
Astronomers at the Institute of Space Telescope (STSCI), along with experts from the planetary science center of St Andrews University and the southern European observatory, confirm the existence of a single black hole, Phys On April 19 reported. In research published in the magazine The Astrophysical Journal, The group describes the new data analysis process of an object discovered a few years ago to confirm that it is a black hole.
In 2022, the researchers announced that a “dark object” moved through the constellation Sagittarius (Sagittarius). They think it could be a single black hole. Shortly thereafter, another research team questioned this result, saying that the object is more likely to be more neutrons. After continuing to find out, the team initially discovered more evidence to support that it was a single black hole.
Before this finding, every black hole was determined to have a accompanying star. Black holes are often discovered by their impact on the light emanating from that star. Without the accompanying star, it is difficult to see the black hole. The STSCI group discovered a new black hole because it passed in front of a star who did not accompany far away, amplified light and changed the star’s position in the sky in a short time.
The group of experts obtained the initial observations thanks to the Hubble spatial telescope in the period of 2011 – 2017. This time, they reviewed data in 2021 – 2022 from Hubble and from Gaia spacecraft. They realized, “dark objects” had a weight of about 7 times the sun. This shows that it cannot be neutron stars.
In addition, the second research team also adjusted his judgment of Neutron in 2023, agreed that the “dark object” was really a black hole. This group calculates objects with a mass of about 6 times the amount of solar, but their measurement has larger errors, so this result is still consistent with the results of the STSCI group.
The solitary black hole is located about 5,000 light -years from the Earth, much closer to the super -mass black hole in the center of the galaxy. It not only moves but is also speeding up to galaxy. The black hole moves at a speed of about 51 km per second compared to neighboring stars. It becomes a “solitary wandering” may be due to the formation process. The supernova explosion created this black hole may have given it a push, causing it to rush through the galaxy.
This is the first time the existence of a single black hole has been confirmed. The scientists hope to find more examples with the Nancy Grace Roman spaces, scheduled to launch in 2027. The study of black holes helps the scientists understand more about the expansion of the cosmos, the way the stars and planets form and develop, and test the theory of human universe.