This is a list of known
black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravitation, gravity is so strong that nothing, including light or other Electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic waves, has enough energy to escape it. The theory of general relativity predicts t ...
s that are close to the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
, which Earth is part of.
It is thought that most black holes are solitary, but black holes in
binary
Binary may refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* Binary number, a representation of numbers using only two digits (0 and 1)
* Binary function, a function that takes two arguments
* Binary operation, a mathematical operation that t ...
or larger
system
A system is a group of Interaction, interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its environment (systems), environment, is described by its boundaries, ...
s are much easier to detect.
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 detected,
OGLE-2011-BLG-0462
OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, also known as MOA-2011-BLG-191, is a stellar-mass black hole isolated in interstellar space. OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 lies at a distance of 5,000 light years in the direction of the galactic bulge in the constellation Sagittarius. ...
, around 5,200 light-years away.
For comparison,
the nearest star to the Sun is about away, and the
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...
galaxy is approximately 105,000 light years in diameter.
List
See also
*
List of black holes
This list of black holes (and stars considered probable candidates) is organized by mass (including black holes of undetermined mass); some items in this list are galaxies or star clusters that are believed to be organized around a black hole. M ...
*
List of most massive black holes
This is an ordered list of the most massive black holes so far discovered (and probable candidates), measured in units of solar masses (), approximately .
Introduction
A supermassive black hole (SMBH) is an extremely large black hole, on the ...
*
Lists of astronomical objects
This is a list of lists, grouped by type of astronomical object.
Solar System
* List of Solar System objects
* List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System
* List of Solar System objects most distant from the Sun
* List of So ...
*
NGC 3201 – a globular cluster with many black holes
*
NGC 7727
New General Catalogue, NGC 7727 is a peculiar galaxy in the constellation Aquarius (constellation), Aquarius. It harbors two galactic nuclei, each containing a supermassive black hole, separated 1,600 light years apart.
Features
This object is ...
– a galaxy with the closest confirmed
binary black hole
A binary black hole (BBH) is a system consisting of two black holes in close orbit around each other. Like black holes themselves, binary black holes are often divided into stellar binary black holes, formed either as remnants of high-mass binary ...
at 89 million light years away
References
{{Portal bar, Astronomy, Solar System, Space, Star
*
nearest black holes
nearest black holes
nearest black holes