Astronomers have identified a unique black hole triple system featuring one of the oldest black holes known, V404 Cygni, with two orbiting stars, located about 8,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus.
- System Composition: The black hole system, V404 Cygni, includes a central black hole with two companion stars: one star orbits closely, completing a cycle every 6.5 days, while a more distant star orbits once every 70,000 years.
- Black Hole Characteristics: V404 Cygni is an ancient black hole, roughly nine times the mass of the Sun, formed through a process known as “direct collapse,” rather than a supernova.
- Formation Process: Unlike typical supernovae which expel outer layers, direct collapse allows stars to form black holes without disrupting surrounding companions, potentially leading to complex multi-body systems.
- Significance: This discovery adds to the understanding of black hole formation, as most known systems include only two bodies (a black hole and a single star or another black hole).