Gaia BH1
Position on the route: 168/181 · level needed 2600 · journey (Mk0 engine) 433.7 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 1,560 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | ≈ 9.6 Suns |
| Orbit | ≈ 185 days |
| Found | 2022 |
The story
Gaia BH1 is a black hole about 1,560 light-years away towards Ophiuchus. The Gaia spacecraft’s astrometry showed a Sun-like star circling an unseen companion of about 9.6 solar masses, that is, a black hole. El-Badry and colleagues announced it in 2022.
When found it was the nearest black hole known to Earth (the later Gaia BH3 is heavier but farther). It gives off no X-rays at all: it is ‘dormant’ because it is not pulling gas from its partner. The number of such black holes tests models of stellar evolution.
Missions
- Gaia (ESA): astrometry
- Gemini, VLT: spectroscopy
Colony note
No surface; an observation station far outside the event horizon.
☠ A quiet black hole: no surface, and not even light escapes. An observation station far outside the event horizon.
What probes bring back
- Found in 2022 from Gaia’s astrometry: about 1,560 light-years away and roughly 9.6 solar masses. When found, it was the nearest black hole known to Earth.
- It orbits a Sun-like star in a wide orbit and gives off no X-rays at all: a ‘dormant’ black hole. Finding such quiet ones tests our models of stellar evolution.
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