The most massive black hole in the Milky Way has been discovered

Astronomers have discovered the heaviest stellar black hole in our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Here's What We Know

This object, known as Gaia BH3, weighs an impressive 33 solar masses. It is located just 2,000 light years from Earth in the constellation of Eagle. This discovery was made by a team of astronomers from the Observatory of Paris, while analysing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission.

Gaia BH3 is significantly more massive than the previous record holder, Cygnus X-1, which weighs 21 solar masses. The star orbiting BH3 was known to astronomers, but its status as a companion to a black hole came as a complete surprise.

Stellar black holes are the remnants of massive stars that have collapsed under their own gravitational pull. It is reported that this black hole may have occurred after the collapse of a massive star that was 40-50 times heavier than our Sun. Astronomers speculate that even more massive stellar black holes may exist in our galaxy.

Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Gizmodo