Astronomers and scientists are constantly discovering new objects and celestial bodies in space. While black holes are nothing new, we might find them in places we don't expect them to be. Space is a vast mystery that even thousands of years of research will not solve.
However, with such fascinating technology emerging, we are getting close to understanding our universe better. Recently, astronomers stumbled into vast, unexpected black holes. Here is everything you need to know about it.
What Were The Astronomers Looking For?
When this discovery took place, astronomers were not actively seeking black holes. Instead, they were trying to explain the magnificent star trails of Palomar 5, a star cluster. During this journey, they stumbled on a large crop of black holes.
We know that space is filled with black holes, but we don't know where they hide. Such discoveries are always unexpected and take the astronomers by surprise. The current inventory scientists have of black holes is still incomplete, and there is so much more to find on this journey.
Inferring The Presence Of Black Holes
Finding black holes in space is not an easy task. They present a unique challenge for those keeping a count because they are dark objects. These objects have unique properties that don't allow astronomers to image them the way they do galaxies directly.
That is why astronomers have to go a step further and indirectly infer the presence of black holes in space. Astronomers already predicted that there might be supermassive black holes in galaxies, which are easier to detect because of their size. On the other hand, relatively smaller black holes are called stellar-mass black holes, and it is tricky to infer their presence.
Black Holes In Palomar 5
Recently, European researchers claimed that they have come across an enormous trove of stellar-mass black holes in Palomar 5. The star cluster is widely known for its magnificent star trails filled with stars ejected from the cluster over the last eleven billion years. These trails were a clue and led the astronomers to the black holes.
The astronomers were determined to understand how these trails formed, and to achieve this, they ran dozens of computer simulations. Eventually, one simulation came up with something that resembled the Palomar 5 today, and it was noticeable that starts were removed because black holes were pushing stars away from the middle.
The model suggests that Palomar 5 has more than a hundred black holes in its trails. The discovery was an eye-opener as it shed light on how much more the astronomers could be missing when understanding other star clusters and space mysteries.
Final Words
That is everything you need to know about the recent discovery of black holes in Palomar 5. It is an indication that the inventory of black holes we have right now is nothing compared to what is out there. We guess we will have to wait and see what more scientists and astronomers discover.