NEW discovery
**Gaia** discovered a new family of stellar mass black holes
12 August 2025
Gaia's unique capabilities made it possible to discover the closest known black holes to Earth (Gaia BH1 and BH2) and the most massive known black hole of stellar origin in the Milky Way (Gaia BH3). When a black hole does not have a companion close enough to steal matter from, it does not generate any light and is extremely difficult to spot. These black holes are called ‘dormant’. These dormant black holes are very difficult to find, but Gaia succeeded.
Informative video explaining what a black hole is. Credit: ESA.
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