Gaia BH1: The Closest Known Black Hole to Earth

All images: NASA/ESA (Representative images)

The Most Mysterious Cosmic Objects

Black holes are the most mysterious cosmic objects. They have been studied for years but still haven’t been fully understood. They’re huge concentrations of matter packed into very tiny spaces. A black hole is so dense that gravity just beneath its surface, the event horizon, is strong enough that nothing – not even light – can escape.

Around 40 Quintillion Black Holes in the Universe

Astronomers have estimated that there are around 40 quintillion black holes in our universe. Which black hole is closest to the solar system and our planet Earth? Let’s take a look:

Meet Gaia BH1

Gaia BH1 has been dubbed as the closest-yet blackhole to Earth. It was discovered by astronomers on November 2, 2022, using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii.

Gaia BH1 is 1,560 Light Years Away

Gaia BH1 is around 1,560 light years away from Earth, in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. Now even, 1,560 light years is surely an astronomical distance. But it is nothing when it comes to the size of the universe - 93 billion light years.

Ten Times More Massive than the Sun

Gaia BH1 is approximately 10 times more massive than our Sun, making it a stellar-mass black hole.