Discovery of closest Black Holes to Earth unveiled in Hyades Star Cluster — Details

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society hints at the existence of a cluster of black holes within the Hyades star cluster.
Situated in the celestial vicinity of our solar system, the Hyades cluster, if confirmed, would harbor the closest black holes to Earth ever detected. This groundbreaking study is the result of a collaborative effort led by Stefano Torniamenti from the University of Padua in Italy, with significant contributions from Mark Gieles, an ICREA professor at the Faculty of Physics, the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), along with Friedrich Anders from ICCUB-IEEC.

Unraveling the Cosmic Enigma: Black Holes in the Hyades Cluster

Since their discovery, black holes have remained one of the most enigmatic and captivating phenomena in the universe. These cosmic enigmas have been the subject of intense scrutiny by researchers worldwide, especially those of smaller masses, which have been observed during the detection of gravitational waves. The advent of gravitational wave detection in 2015 marked a transformative moment in studying black holes, revealing numerous events corresponding to the mergers of low-mass black hole pairs.

For this groundbreaking study, a team of astrophysicists employed intricate simulations to meticulously track the motion and evolution of every star within the Hyades star cluster. Located at a distance of approximately 45 parsecs or 150 light-years from the Sun, the Hyades cluster is a prime candidate for exploring the existence of black holes within its boundaries.

The Cosmic Dance: Simulations and Reality Converge

Open clusters, characterized by loosely bound groups of hundreds of stars