Episode Details

Scientists have recently found a black hole with a mass 33 times that of our Sun, and it's surprisingly close to Earth—relatively speaking, of course! This massive black hole, located in a nearby galaxy about 1,500 light-years away, is the closest one we’ve ever discovered. What's really cool is that it’s a “dormant” black hole, which means it's not actively pulling in matter or creating those giant, glowing energy jets we sometimes see in space. Researchers used a powerful telescope to detect it by watching how its gravity affected a nearby star. Discovering black holes like this helps scientists understand more about how stars live and die. It’s a bit spooky, but luckily, even though it’s close by cosmic standards, it’s far enough away that we’re completely safe!

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