Skip to main content
U.K. Edition
Friday, 19 April 2024

Scientists may have spotted the black hole nearest to Earth: study

Credit: Reuters - 3D Animations (Next Me
Duration: 00:56s 0 shares 1 views

Scientists may have spotted the black hole nearest to Earth: study
Scientists may have spotted the black hole nearest to Earth: study

Scientists may have spotted a black hole so close to Earth that its two companion stars are visible to the naked eye, according to a paper in Astronomy and Physics.

For story suggestions or custom animation requests, contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw.

Visit http://archive.nextanimationstudio.com to view News Direct's complete archive of 3D news animations.

RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Scientists may have spotted a black hole so close to Earth that its two companion stars are visible to the naked eye, according to a paper in Astronomy and Physics.

Writing in a news release, researchers at the European Southern Observatory say the black hole is 1,000 light-years distant in the system HR 6819 system, which is part of the constellation Telescopium.

According to the paper, the black hole is 1,000 light-years distant in the system HR 6819 system, which is part of the constellation Telescopium.

Scientists say a black hole is usually identified by the accretion disk it forms as it devours a nearby star and the energy that it releases into space.

However, the black hole of HR 6819 exists peacefully with its stellar companions, and astronomers used the orbits of the two stars to infer that an object with four times the solar mass is in the system, which can only be a black hole.

RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1.

Location and distance from Earth of the newly discovered black hole 2.

Black holes are usually identified as they absorb nearby stars 3.

The new black hole is not visible because it does not devour stellar companions VOICEOVER (in English): "Scientists at the European Southern Observatory report they may have spotted a black hole so close to Earth that its two companion stars are visible to the naked eye." "According to the paper in Astronomy and Physics, the black hole is 1,000 light-years distant in the system HR 6819 system, which is part of the constellation Telescopium." "Writing in a news release, the scientists say a black hole is usually identified by the accretion disk it forms as it devours a nearby star and the energy that it releases into space." "However, the black hole of HR 6819 exists peacefully with its stellar companions, and astronomers used the orbits of the two stars to infer that an object with four times the solar mass is in the system, which can only be a black hole." SOURCES: Astronomy and Physics, European Southern Observatory https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2007/eso2007a.pdf https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2007/ *** For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw For technical and editorial support, please contact: Asia: +61 2 93 73 1841 Europe: +44 20 7542 7599 Americas and Latam: +1 800 738 8377

You might like

Related news coverage

Advertisement