News Astronomy

Earth’s purported ‘nearest black hole’ isn’t a black hole

A contested multiple star system is a missing link in stellar evolution

illustration of two blue stars in star system HR 6819

The star system HR 6819 (illustrated) hosts no black holes, as previously reported, but instead two blue stars, one that recently siphoned gas off the other.

L. Calçada/ESO

By Liz Kruesi

The nearest black hole to Earth isn’t a black hole at all. Instead, what scientists thought was a stellar triplet — two stars and a black hole — is actually a pair of stars caught in a unique stage of evolution.