The Hyades open cluster in Taurus.
A recent discovery has revealed that the closest black holes to Earth have been detected within the Hyades open cluster, which is located just 150 light-years away.
An open cluster consists of a loosely bound group of stars that are all about the same age and share similar chemical characteristics.
The Hyades, found near Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Taurus, is the closest open cluster to our solar system and can be seen with the naked eye during the winter season. Stargazers often refer to its approximately 500 stars as the “Face of the Bull,” according to EarthSky.
Closest Black Holes Discovered
A recent paper published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has unveiled the existence of several small black holes in the Hyades, making them the closest black holes ever detected.
Observing black holes directly is impossible since they emit no light. To study these black holes, a team of astrophysicists used simulations to understand the motion and evolution of the stars within the Hyades cluster, comparing this data with their actual positions and velocities.
The scientists relied on new data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite, which is mapping the exact motions of billions of stars to create a 3D map of the Milky Way.
Two or Three Black Holes
The study suggests that there could be two or three small black holes within or in close proximity to the Hyades cluster. Stefano Torniamenti, the paper’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padua in Italy, stated, “Our simulations suggest the presence of black holes at the center of the cluster today (or until recently), as this is the only way to match the mass and size of the Hyades.”
Until now, the closest known black hole to our solar system was Gaia BH1, located in the constellation Ophiuchus, approximately 1,560 light-years away. It is visible in the northern hemisphere’s summer and the southern hemisphere’s winter.
This study was a collaborative effort between the University of Padua, ICUBB-IEEC, the University of Cambridge in the U.K., the European Southern Observatory, and China’s National Sun Yat-sen University.
May you have clear skies and an astute gaze.
