Scientists Detect, Rogue Black Hole, For the First Time.
For the first time, astronomers believe
they have detected and measured the mass
of an isolated stellar-mass black hole. .
Space.com reports that until now, all stellar-mass black holes have been detected in binary systems associated with partners like neutron stars. .
When giant stars reach the end of
their lifespan they explode in massive
supernovae that leave behind black holes. .
There are estimated to be 100 million stellar-mass
black holes in the Milky Way, according
to the new study's lead author Kailash Sahu. .
Sahu, an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute
in Baltimore, says that the majority of stellar-mass black holes
in the Milky Way appear to be without a binary partner. .
A black hole's interaction with its stellar
partner generates light or gravitational waves
which allow astronomers to detect them.
This makes black holes that lack a binary
partner extremely difficult to detect. .
Now, astronomers have detected
an isolated stellar-mass black hole
about 5,150 light-years away from earth. .
We now know that isolated black holes
exist. And they have masses similar to
the black holes found in binaries. And
there must be lots of them out there, Kailash Sahu, Lead author and astrophysicist at the Space
Telescope Science Institute, via Space.com.
According to the team, the isolated black hole
is about 7.1 times the mass of our sun and
is traveling through space at about 100,000 mph. .
According to Space.com, this suggests that
the black hole may have been propelled
by the supernova blast that birthed it.