List of nearest known black holes

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This is a list of known black holes that are close to the Solar System.

Contents

It is thought that most black holes are solitary, but black holes in binary or larger systems are much easier to detect. [1] Solitary black holes can generally only be detected by measuring their gravitational distortion of the light from more distant objects. As of February 2022, only one isolated black hole has been confirmed, OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, around 5,200 light-years away. [2]

The nearest known black hole is Gaia BH1, which was discovered in September 2022 by a team led by Kareem El-Badry. Gaia BH1 is 1,560 light-years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. [3]

For comparison, the nearest star to the Sun (Proxima Centauri) is about 4.24 light-years away, and the Milky Way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light-years in diameter.

List

Distance System ComponentNotes and additional references
(ly)(kpc)DesignationDescription Right ascension [4]
(Epoch J2000.0)		 Declination [4]
(Epoch J2000.0)		Disco­very
date [5] 		Desig­nation Stel­lar
class 		Mass
(M☉)
1,560±100.478±0.005 Gaia BH1 (TIC 125470397)Binary system with orbit t=185.63 d and eccentricity e=0.45 [3] 17h 28m 41.09s−00° 34′ 51.93″2022A BH 9.78 [3]
B G 0.93
1,840±300.5906±0.0058 Gaia BH3 (Gaia DR3 4318465066420528000)Binary system with orbit t=11.6 yr and eccentricity e=0.729119h 39m 18.72s+14° 55′ 54.2″2024A BH 32.70±0.82 [6]
B G 0.76±0.05
3,800±801.16±0.02 Gaia BH2 (Gaia DR3 5870569352746779008)Binary system with orbit t=1276.7 d and eccentricity e=0.51813h 50m 16.728s−59° 14′ 20.42″2023A BH 8.93 [7] [8]
B K III 1.07
3,800+2,700
−2,000		1.18+0.82
−0.63		 Gaia18ajz Candidate for isolated black hole detected by microlensing [9] 18h 30m 14.460s−08° 13′ 12.756″2024 BH 12.0+14.9
−5.4		Most probable solution parameters shown. Another solution has a mass of 5.6 MSol.
4,700±8001.44±0.25 A0620-00 (V616 Mon)Binary star system with orbit t=7.75 h06h 22m 44.503s [10] −00° 20′ 44.72″ [10] 1986A BH 11.0±1.9Low-mass X-ray binary
B K [11] 0.5±0.3
5,150±5901.58±0.18 MOA-2011-BLG-191 or OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 Isolated black hole detected by microlensing [2] 17h 51m 40.2082s−29° 53′ 26.50″2022 BH 7.1±1.3First confirmed black hole detected via microlensing
5,400+6,900
−1,900		1.7±1.4 GRS 1124-683 (GU Muscae)Binary star system with orbit t=10.38 h11h 26m 26.60s−68° 40′ 32.3″1991 Jan 20A BH 6.95±1.1
B K 0.9±0.3
5,720±3001.7±0.1 XTE J1118+480 11h 18m 11s48° 02′ 13″2000A BH 6–6.5
B M 0.2
7,300±2002.25±0.08 Cygnus X-1 (Cyg X-1)Binary star system with orbit t=5.6 d19h 58m 21.676s [12] +35° 12′ 05.78″ [12] 1971 April–MayCyg X-1 BH 15±1The first X-ray source widely accepted to be a black hole.
HDE 226868 O [13] 30±10
7,800±4602.39±0.14 V404 Cygni Binary star system with orbit t=6.5 d20h 24m 03.83s [14] +33° 52′ 02.2″ [14] 1989 May 22A BH 9First black hole to have an accurate parallax measurement of its distance from our solar system
B K [4] 0.7Early K giant star
8,100±1,0002.49±0.30 GRO J0422+32 Binary star system with orbit t=5.09 h04h 21m 42.723s+32° 54′ 26.94″1992 Aug 5A BH 3.97±0.95
B M1 0.5±0.1
8,1502.5 MACHO-96-BLG-5 Candidate isolated black hole detected by microlensing [15] 18h 05m 2.50s−27° 42′ 17″2001 BH 5.30+1.14
−0.96		Very strong candidate, parameters listed are of best fit
8,800±2,3002.7±0.7 GS 2000+25 20h 02m 50s+25° 14′ 11″1988A BH 7.5
B M 0.5
9,260+6,330
−5,450		2.84+1.94
−1.67		 Gaia18cbf Candidate isolated mass-gap black hole detected by microlensing [16] 16h 04m 38.862s−41° 06′ 17.32″2022 BH 2.65+5.09
−1.48		Best fit. Second-best fit has a mass of 1.71 MSol, which would make it a neutron star.
11,000±9803.4±0.3 Swift J1727.8−1613 Detected via a transient X-ray event [17] 17h 27m 46.0s [17] −16° 12′ 5.3″ [17] 2023ABH3.12±0.10 [18]
BK4V<0.78 [18]
11,100±7003.4±0.2 Cygnus X-3 Binary star system with orbit t=4.8 h20h 32m 25.766s+40° 57′ 28.26″1967Cyg X-3 BH 2.4+2.1
−1.1
[19]
V1521 Cyg WN 10.3+3.9
−2.8
[19]
11,4003.5 MACHO-98-BLG-6 Candidate isolated mass-gap black hole detected by microlensing [15] 17h 57m 32.80s−28° 42′ 45″2001 BH 3.17+0.52
−0.48		Very strong candidate, parameters listed are of best fit
11,900±3,6003.7±1.1 GRO J1655-40 Binary star system with orbit t = 2.6 d16h 54m 00.137s−39° 50′ 44.90″1994A BH 5.31±0.07
V1033 Sco F5IV 1.9±0.3
15,7004.8 MACHO-99-BLG-22 Candidate isolated black hole detected by microlensing [20] 18h 05m 05.28s−28° 34′ 41.70″2002 BH 7.5Very strong candidate
25,600±6007.86±0.2 Sagittarius A* Supermassive black hole17h 45m 40.0409s−29° 0′ 28.118″1974 BH 4,154,000 ± 14,000Center of the Galaxy
29,700±2,7009.1±0.8 4U 1543-475 Binary star system with orbit t = 26.8 h15h 47m 08.277s−47° 40′ 10.28″1971A BH 9.4±2.0
B A2V 2.7±1.0

Nearest black hole record holders

This is a succession of black holes that have been known as the nearest black hole.

Nearest black hole titleholders
DateDistanceNameMassTypeNotes
2022—1,600 ly (1.5×1016 km; 9.4×1015 mi) Gaia BH1 9.62 solar masses (1.913×1031 kg; 4.22×1031 lb)Main-sequence star with dormant compact mass binaryFirst dormant black hole discovered, first Sun-like star in black hole binary system discovered: First detected via positional shifts of visible companion [21] [22] [23]
1986—20223,000 ly (2.8×1016 km; 1.8×1016 mi) V616 Monocerotis (A0620−00)5.86 M☉ (1.165×1031 kg; 2.57×1031 lb)Visible variable star X-ray binary systemFirst observed in X-rays [24] [25] [23]
1975—19866,070 ly (5.74×1016 km; 3.57×1016 mi) Cygnus X-1 14.8 M☉ (2.94×1031 kg; 6.5×1031 lb)X-ray binary systemFirst black hole discovered: first observed in 1964 in X-rays, first speculated as black hole in 1972, first confirmed black hole in 1975, accepted as a black hole by 1990 [26] [27] [23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ESO Instrument Finds Closest Black Hole to Earth". European Southern Observatory. May 6, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Sahu, Kailash C.; et al. (Jan 31, 2022). "An Isolated Stellar-mass Black Hole Detected through Astrometric Microlensing". The Astrophysical Journal. 933 (1): 83. arXiv: 2201.13296 . Bibcode:2022ApJ...933...83S. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac739e . S2CID   246430448.
  3. 1 2 3 El-Badry, Kareem; Rix, Hans-Walter; Quataert, Eliot; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Fuller, Jim; Hawkins, Keith; Breivik, Katelyn; Wong, Kaze W. K.; Rodriguez, Antonio C.; Conroy, Charlie; Shahaf, Sahar; Mazeh, Tsevi; Arenou, Frédéric; Burdge, Kevin B.; Bashi, Dolev; Faigler, Simchon; Weisz, Daniel R.; Seeburger, Rhys; Monter, Silvia Almada; Wojno, Jennifer (2023). "A Sun-like star orbiting a black hole". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 518 (1): 1057–1085. arXiv: 2209.06833 . Bibcode:2023MNRAS.518.1057E. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stac3140 .
  4. 1 2 3 "The One Hundred Nearest Star Systems". Research Consortium on Nearby Stars . GSU. 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  5. ↑ Before 1900: earliest certain recorded observation. 1900–1930: first catalogued. After 1930: earliest trigonometric or spectroscopic parallax.
  6. ↑ Panuzzo, P. (2024). "Discovery of a dormant 33 solar-mass black hole in pre-release Gaia astrometry". The Astrophysical Journal. 686: L2. arXiv: 2404.10486 . Bibcode:2024A&A...686L...2G. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202449763 .
  7. ↑ Tanikawa, Ataru; Hattori, Kohei; Kawanaka, Norita; Kinugawa, Tomoya; Shikauchi, Minori; Tsuna, Daichi (2023). "Search for a Black Hole Binary in Gaia DR3 Astrometric Binary Stars with Spectroscopic Data". The Astrophysical Journal. 946 (2): 79. arXiv: 2209.05632 . Bibcode:2023ApJ...946...79T. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/acbf36 .
  8. ↑ El-Badry, Kareem; Rix, Hans-Walter; et al. (February 2023). "A red giant orbiting a black hole". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 521 (3): 4323–4348. arXiv: 2302.07880 . Bibcode:2023MNRAS.521.4323E. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stad799 .
  9. ↑ Howil K, Wyrzykowski L, Kruszynska K, et al. (Mar 15, 2024). "Uncovering the Invisible: A Study of Gaia18ajz, a Candidate Black Hole Revealed by Microlensing". arXiv: 2403.09006 [astro-ph.GA].
  10. 1 2 Liu, Q.Z.; Paradijs, J.; van den Heuvel, E.P.J. (July 2007), "A Catalogue of low-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy, LMC, and SMC (Fourth edition)", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 469 (2): 807–810, arXiv: 0707.0544 , Bibcode:2007A&A...469..807L, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077303, S2CID   14673570
  11. ↑ Yungelson, L.; Lasota, J.-P. (May 2008), "Evolution of low-mass binaries with black-hole components", New Astronomy Reviews, 51 (10–12): 860–868, arXiv: 0801.3433 , Bibcode:2008NewAR..51..860Y, doi:10.1016/j.newar.2008.03.017, S2CID   11830754
  12. 1 2 van Leeuwen, Floor (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv: 0708.1752 , Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID   18759600
  13. ↑ Sota, A.; Apellániz, J. Maíz; Walborn, N.R.; Alfaro, E.J.; Barbá, R.H.; Morrell, N.I.; Gamen, R.C.; Arias, J.I. (April 2011), "The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey. I. Classification System and Bright Northern Stars in the Blue-violet at R ~ 2500", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 193 (2): 24–74, arXiv: 1101.4002 , Bibcode:2011ApJS..193...24S, doi:10.1088/0067-0049/193/2/24, S2CID   119248206
  14. 1 2 Cutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Beichman, Charles A.; Carpenter, John M.; Chester, Thomas; Cambresy, Laurent; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Huchra, John P.; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Light, Robert M.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Stiening, Rae; Sykes, Matthew J.; Weinberg, Martin D.; Wheaton, William A.; Wheelock, Sherry L.; Zacarias, N. (2003). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2246: II/246. Bibcode:2003yCat.2246....0C.
  15. 1 2 Abdurrahman, Fatima N.; Stephens, Haynes F.; Lu, Jessica R. (2021-05-01). "On the Possibility of Stellar Lenses in the Black Hole Candidate Microlensing Events MACHO-96-BLG-5 and MACHO-98-BLG-6". The Astrophysical Journal. 912 (2): 146. arXiv: 2103.09923 . Bibcode:2021ApJ...912..146A. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/abee83 . ISSN   0004-637X.
  16. ↑ Kruszyńska, K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Rybicki, K. A.; Maskoliūnas, M.; Bachelet, E.; Rattenbury, N.; Mróz, P.; Zieliński, P.; Howil, K.; Kaczmarek, Z.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Ihanec, N.; Gezer, I.; Gromadzki, M.; Mikołajczyk, P. (2022-06-01). "Lens parameters for Gaia18cbf - a long gravitational microlensing event in the Galactic plane". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 662: A59. arXiv: 2111.08337 . Bibcode:2022A&A...662A..59K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142602. ISSN   0004-6361. S2CID   244129969.
  17. 1 2 3 Page, K. L.; Dichiara, S.; Gropp, J. D.; Krimm, H. A.; Parsotan, T. M.; Williams, M. A.; Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Team (2023-08-01). "GRB 230824A: Swift detection of a burst". GRB Coordinates Network. 34537: 1. Bibcode:2023GCN.34537....1P.
  18. 1 2 Sánchez, D. Mata; Torres, M. a. P.; Casares, J.; Muñoz-Darias, T.; Padilla, M. Armas; Yanes-Rizo, I. V. (2025-01-01). "Dynamical confirmation of a black hole in the X-ray transient Swift J1727.8−1613". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 693: A129. arXiv: 2408.13310 . doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202451960. ISSN   0004-6361.
  19. 1 2 Zdziarski, A. A.; Mikołajewska, J.; Belczyński, K. (2013). "Cyg X-3: A low-mass black hole or a neutron star". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 429: L104 –L108. arXiv: 1208.5455 . Bibcode:2013MNRAS.429L.104Z. doi: 10.1093/mnrasl/sls035 .
  20. ↑ Mereghetti, S.; Sidoli, L.; Ponti, G.; Treves, A. (2022-07-01). "X-Ray Observations of the Isolated Black Hole Candidate OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 and Other Collapsed Objects Discovered through Gravitational Microlensing". The Astrophysical Journal. 934 (1): 62. arXiv: 2206.07480 . Bibcode:2022ApJ...934...62M. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac7965 . ISSN   0004-637X.
  21. ↑ Whitehead, Nadia (4 November 2022). "Astronomers Discover Closest Black Hole to Earth". Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
  22. ↑ Staff (4 November 2022). "Dormant Stellar-Mass Black Hole Detected 1,600 Light-Years Away". Sci-News.
  23. 1 2 3 Becky Smethurst (15 August 2024). The closest KNOWN black holes to Earth (only three have ever held the title). Dr. Becky. 5xLiw9yJu1k on YouTube.
  24. ↑ Cain, Fraser (21 March 2016). "Where is the closest black hole?". Universe Today. phys.org.
  25. ↑ van Grunsven, Theo F. J.; Jonker, Peter G.; Verbunt, Frank W. M.; Robinson, Edward L. (16 August 2017). "The mass of the black hole in 1A 0620–00, revisiting the ellipsoidal light curve modelling". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 472 (2) (published December 2017): 1907–1914. arXiv: 1708.08209 . Bibcode:2017MNRAS.472.1907V. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx2071 .
  26. ↑ MacRobert, Alan (21 November 2011). "Cygnus X-1, Exactly". Sky & Telescope.
  27. ↑ Buongiorno, Caitlyn (3 March 2021). "Cygnus X-1: The black hole that started it all". Astronomy.
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