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Black hole

Gaia BH2

Also Gaia DR3 5870569352746779008

Open in OuranosCompare its size

A dormant black hole in a wide orbit with a red giant star, found from Gaia measurements.

Measured

Distance
3,800 light-years
Constellation
Centaurus
Position (J2000)
RA 13h 50m 17s, Dec −59.24°

How far, from the Sun

3,800 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light3,800 years
  • Voyager 1's speed67.5 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h41 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • It has about 8.9 times the Sun's mass; its red giant companion takes 1,277 days per orbit.
  • It was announced in 2023, and Chandra detected no X-rays from it.

Where this comes from

  • El-Badry et al. 2023, MNRAS 521, 4323 (1.16 ± 0.02 kpc)

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.