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Astronomers discovered the first "black hole triple system"

Posted 04 Nov 2024

2 min read

Binary black hole systems often pair a black hole with either a star, neutron star, or another black hole, orbiting each other due to gravitational attraction.

  • However, V404 Cygni system, initially believed to be a binary black hole system, was discovered to be a triple system.

About V404 Cygni system

  • It holds a central black hole in the act of consuming a small star that’s spiralling in very close to the black hole (every 6.5 days).
  • The new discovery found, a 2nd star orbiting the black hole at a vast distance, completing one orbit every 70,000 years. (making it a triple system).
  • The system V404 Cygni is located within the Milky Way and around 8,000 light-years from Earth.

Significance of the New Discovery

  • Debunks Supernova explosion: The distant star's presence challenges traditional black hole formation theory, as supernova explosions should have expelled loosely-bound objects from its vicinity.
    • Supernova: Is a massive explosion that occurs when a star runs out of fuel and collapses
  • Direct collapse: Scientists suggest this black hole is formed through "direct collapse," where a star quietly implodes, allowing distant objects to maintain their orbital connections.

About Black hole

  • Black hole is a cosmic body of extremely intense gravity.
  • A black hole’s “surface,” called its event horizon, defines the boundary where the velocity needed to escape exceeds the speed of light.
  • In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) captured an image of a black hole for the first time.
  • The supermassive black hole is located at the heart of a galaxy called M87, located about 55 million light-years away.
  • Tags :
  • Black Hole Triple
  • V404 Cygni system
  • Supernova
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