A team of astronomers has confirmed the existence of a lone black hole, marking the first time such an object has been verified. The discovery was made using data from space telescopes and probes, including Hubble and the Gaia spacecraft.
Researchers had previously spotted the black hole in 2022 but were unsure if it was indeed a black hole or a neutron star. After further analysis, they found that the object was approximately seven times as massive as the sun, ruling out the possibility of it being a neutron star.
The lone black hole is notable because it does not have a companion star, making it difficult to detect without passing in front of another star. However, its passage in front of a distant non-companion star magnified its light and shifted its position in the sky for a short time.
This discovery marks an important milestone in understanding the universe’s mysterious objects. The team hopes to find more examples using the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is set to launch in 2027.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-04-astronomers-lone-black-hole.html