- Judge tosses California children's pollution suit against US govt
- Pope's holy year causes transport jitters for Rome
- American 14-year-old talent signs MLS pro deal with Man City awaiting
- Nadal wants to lose fear factor after winning Rome opener
- UN official says Israel closure of Gaza crossings 'completely crippling' aid
- Panama Papers law firm boss Ramon Fonseca dead
- Eurovision draws street protests calling for Israel's ejection
- Stormy Daniels denies cashing in on claimed tryst with Trump
- Spain govt vows to block hostile BBVA bid for rival bank
- In south Brazil, race on to deliver aid ahead of new storms
- NHL Maple Leafs fire Keefe as coach after first-round exit
- Porsche recalls thousands of Taycans over faulty batteries
- Sanchez escapes through dust and gravel for nervy Giro triumph
- RFU warn England rugby star Billy Vunipola after Mallorca arrest
- Forest have 'moved on' from failed points deduction appeal, says Nuno
- Dyche unable to 'crack on' with Everton rebuild during takeover saga
- Stormy Daniels denies cashing in on claims of tryst with Trump
- Trump's son Barron, 18, named Republican delegate
- Mbappe gets ready to say goodbye as PSG digest Champions League exit
- Nadal squeezes past qualifier Bergs in Rome opener
- Boeing passenger plane exits runway in Senegal injuring 11
- Chessum in doubt for England's tour of Japan and New Zealand
- UK's Cameron calls for Israel to produce 'clear plan' for Rafah
- Cate Blanchett to be honoured at San Sebastian film festival
- Olympic torch relay in Marseille offers 'solidarity' with Ukraine
- Jorginho targets silverware after signing new Arsenal deal
- Stormy Daniels back in the Trump trial hot seat
- Scientists win World Food Prize for work on Global Seed Vault
- London, Frankfurt stocks hit record highs on rate-cut hopes
- Israel hits Rafah despite US warning on arms transfers
- Atletico win appeal over racist abuse sanction
- Nepal's nature threatened by new development push: conservationists
- Russell returns from injury to bolster Bath's bid for Premiership title
- Cate Blanchett to be honoured by San Sebastian film festival
- Charity warns Italy's ban on NGO planes risks lives
- Celtic captain McGregor urges Hoops to 'stay calm' against Rangers
- Olympic javelin champion Chopra targets 90m mark in Doha
- Norris backs McLaren to mount 2025 F1 title bid after Miami win
- London, Frankfurt hit record highs on rate-cut hopes
- UK's Cameron urges NATO countries to boost defence spending
- Bank of England holds rate at 16-year high, signals looming cut
- Spanish court shelves Shakira tax fraud case
- Bayern face uncertain future after Champions League exit
- Rafah struck after Biden warning on arms transfers
- European stocks stutter before Bank of England rate call
- Italian tennis star Giorgi retires
- Inevitable Madrid continue Champions League love affair
- Nissan net profit nearly doubles despite China challenges
- Spain vows to block BBVA's hostile bid for rival bank
- Olympic torch relay sets off in Marseille
Astronomers discover largest black hole in Milky Way: study
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The black hole, named Gaia BH3, was discovered "by chance" from data collected by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, an astronomer from the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Observatoire de Paris, Pasquale Panuzzo, told AFP.
Gaia, which is dedicated to mapping the Milky Way galaxy, located BH3 2,000 light years away from Earth in the Aquila constellation.
As Gaia's telescope can give a precise position of stars in the sky, astronomers were able to characterise their orbits and measure the mass of the star's invisible companion -- 33 times that of the Sun.
Further observations from on-the-ground telescopes confirmed that it was a black hole with a mass far greater than the stellar black holes already in the Milky Way.
"No one was expecting to find a high-mass black hole lurking nearby, undetected so far. This is the kind of discovery you make once in your research life," Panuzzo said in a press release.
The stellar black hole was discovered when scientists spotted a "wobbling" motion on the companion star that was orbiting it.
"We could see a star a little smaller than the Sun (around 75 percent of its mass) and brighter, that revolved around an invisible companion," Panuzzo said.
Stellar black holes are created from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their lives and are smaller than supermassive black holes whose creation is still unknown.
Such giants have already been detected in distant galaxies via gravitational waves.
But "never in ours", said Panuzzo.
BH3 is a "dormant" black hole and is too far away from its companion star to strip it of its matter and therefore emits no X-rays -- making it difficult to detect.
Gaia's telescope identified the first two inactive black holes (Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2) in the Milky Way.
Gaia has been operating 1.5 million kilometres from Earth for the past 10 years and in 2022 delivered a 3D map of the positions and motions of more than 1.8 billion stars.
Y.Bouchard--BTB