Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), astronomers have discovered a small black hole outside the Milky Way by looking at how it influences the motion of a star in its close vicinity. This is the first time this detection method has been used to reveal the presence of a black hole outside of our galaxy. The method could be key to unveiling hidden black holes in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, and to help shed light on how these mysterious objects form and evolve.
This research was presented in a paper to appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3159).
Read the full ESO science release from November 11, 2021 here.
Image: ©ESO/M. Kornmesser