An Exciting Discovery

Oftentimes, it’s very difficult to identify a black hole let alone a young, newly developing one. Recently, astronomers discovered a young black hole in our neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy, hiding in a cluster of thousands of stars. This is the youngest black hole(about 100 million years) scientists have discovered compared to the other elements of the universe. This is also the first time a black hole has been uncovered through the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope located in Chile. It’s been observed that since the black hole’s gravity is so powerful, it affected the movement of a nearby star(5 times the mass of our sun). Following on, an outbreak of speculations in the science community has been unleashed about the telescope being a more efficient method to find black holes. In addition, this black hole is a hundred sixty thousand light-years away from Earth and 11 times the mass of our sun. 

What Are Black Holes?

A black hole is a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. They form through the remnants of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion. Black holes radiate x-rays when they consume matter, produce gravitational waves when they bump into one another or clash into tightly compacted neutron stars. Astronomers have come to the conclusion that not all black holes are created the same and that they vary in size.

Importance To Science Community

The discovery of the black hole provided tons of significant impact. The method used to find this young black hole can help uncover even younger black holes. A comparison of the older and young black holes discovered is to be evaluated. This data will then be used to comprehend the evolution and formation of a black hole. A breakthrough in the science community seems to be right around the corner.