Astronomers Discover Closest Massive Black Hole, 8,200 Times Sun's Mass, in Omega Centauri

Jul 10, 2024, 03:43 PM

Astronomers have discovered the closest massive black hole to Earth, located in the star cluster Omega Centauri within the Milky Way. This black hole, identified using over 500 Hubble Space Telescope images, is at least 8,200 times the mass of the Sun. The discovery, described as a 'cosmic clue frozen in time,' was made by observing seven fast-moving stars in the cluster's core, which are likely influenced by the black hole. This finding provides strong evidence for the existence of an intermediate-mass black hole, a 'missing link' in the formation of massive black holes. The research has been published in the journal Nature.