Maybe black holes aren’t so relentless. This is what a group of astronomers think. This, following the discovery of a double star in a black hole in the center of the Milky Way. This is the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. The discovery is important for understanding how these systems survive in conditions of extreme gravity. And it may pave the way for future planet detections in this region.
It was known thanks to the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Astronomers discovered a double star orbiting our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole.
Not so destructive
The discovery of the double star, called D9, near Sagittarius A*, shows that some binary systems can survive for a short period of time. Even in destructive environments. Its total mass is about 3.5 solar masses. It is estimated that, under the influence of strong gravity, the components of D9 will merge into a single star in the next million years. It is a very small period of time for a system of this type.
The double star is located in a supercluster of stars and G objects. They are not completely established bodies in the form of gas clouds. And they show behavior similar to that of stars. The rotation period of the two-star system is 372 Earth days (with an error of three days). It is separated from the black hole by about 238 million kilometers.
«Black holes are probably not as deadly as we thought. Double stars are very common in the Universe. “But they have never before been found near supermassive black holes, where strong gravity makes the systems unstable.” This is what the authors of the study highlight.
Possible planets
What does a double star in a black hole imply? Scientists believe this discovery raises hopes that planets could also be found near black holes. This is because they form around relatively young stars. They will carry out more searches for new partners like D9. That and a more detailed study of the stars in the center of the Galaxy will help understand the evolution of objects located in the vicinity of supermassive black holes. The study was published in Nature Communications.
