: Unlike many previously discovered black holes, Gaia BH1 is "dormant," meaning it is not actively consuming matter and therefore does not emit high-energy X-ray radiation. Discovery and Significance Closest black hole to Earth is Gaia BH1, 1,600 lightyears
In late 2022, astronomers announced the discovery of , a dormant black hole located approximately 1,560 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. This discovery, led by Kareem El-Badry of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics , made Gaia BH1 the closest known black hole to Earth, roughly three times closer than the previous record holder. Key Characteristics of Gaia BH1 : Unlike many previously discovered black holes, Gaia
: Its companion star orbits the black hole every 185.6 days at a distance comparable to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Gaia BH1 is "dormant