Another black hole close to our galactic center

A japanese team believes to have identified an intermediate-mass black hole just 200 light years away from the center of the Milky Way.
arxiv.org...

While observing a compact cloud (CO-0.40-0.2) they've noticed a large velocity variation within it. From the data they've estimated the source would have to be an invisible compact object of ~10^5 sun masses.

They propose the observation of the kinematics of gas clouds as an effective method in the search of nonluminous black holes.

(Speculation by myself) The close distance to our supermassive black hole also means that they might merge at some point in the future. Now that would be something interesting to observe, especially with a focus on gravitational waves caused by such event.

Current estimates suggest about 10^8 black holes in our Milky Way btw. :O

The just 200 light years made me chuckle ( @300 000 KM/S )
earthsky.org...

Finding one more of the expected 100 Million in the milky way is a bonus.. hubblesite.org...

a reply to: moebius

Thats freakin awesome. More confirmation bias that the Milky Way has been eating galaxies for a lonnng time.

originally posted by: skywatcher44
The just 200 light years made me chuckle ( @300 000 KM/S )
earthsky.org...

Finding one more of the expected 100 Million in the milky way is a bonus.. hubblesite.org...

Given the fact that the Milky Way is approx 100,000 (but may be even 180,000) ly across, 200 ly is indeed very close.

a reply to: wildespace

just because something is very big or far away does not make a smaller part of it 'very close'

a reply to: yeahsurexxx

Relatively....yes it does.

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: skywatcher44
The just 200 light years made me chuckle ( @300 000 KM/S )
earthsky.org...

Finding one more of the expected 100 Million in the milky way is a bonus.. hubblesite.org...

Given the fact that the Milky Way is approx 100,000 (but may be even 180,000) ly across, 200 ly is indeed very close.

It's always about perspective. It's amazing how many people forget about perspective when it comes to science.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

2 black holes approx. 200 ly apart when the galaxy is 100,000 ly across. Either black holes are way more common than we predicted or they are indeed very close together.

I believe this makes these two black holes the closest grouping of two black holes observed in our galaxy.

If the galaxy is homogeneous with black holes then we can expect finding one about every 200 ly apart which would be quite amazing.

a reply to: moebius

Thats pretty damn close. That merger is going to be epic.