Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered for the first time three objects gravitationally bound to a black hole.
Astronomers have proven for the first time the existence of a triple black hole system, consisting of a star, a black hole and a third, distant object. This discovery was made by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and its results were published in the journal Nature, reports Space.com.
Studying the V404 Cygni system, located 8 thousand light years from Earth, scientists discovered not only the nearest star, but also a more distant third object orbiting the black hole.
According to the calculations of a group of scientists, the “victim” of a black hole envelops its “killer” at a distance of only 6.5 Earth days. The third body of the system is located so far from the first two that it orbits the black hole – the center of the triad – once every 70 thousand Earth years.
This discovery casts doubt on the generally accepted theory of the formation of black holes due to a supernova explosion, because in this case the black hole can be formed when the star itself collapses.
It was previously reported that the Hubble telescope captured an image of an amazing phenomenon – an explosion in the double star system R Aquarii, located 700 light years from Earth.
Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.