'70,000 years to circle': Hidden star reveals shocking truth about black hole origins
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Cosmic Trio
V404 Cygni’s black hole is part of a rare trinary system—two stars and a black hole bound in an intricate dance 7,800 light-years away. The system’s wide-orbiting third star, taking a whopping 70,000 years to circle, has scientists questioning black hole formation theories.
Hidden Star
A recent discovery revealed a star orbiting V404 Cygni’s black hole from an extreme distance. Previously mistaken as a passing object, data from ESA’s Gaia mission confirmed it’s gravitationally linked, redefining what we know about trinary systems and black hole formation.
Gravitational Tether
The far-off star orbits the black hole at 3,500 astronomical units, meaning its gravitational connection is weak yet enduring. This configuration challenges existing theories, as a supernova would likely break such a delicate bond.
Supernova Doubts
The traditional belief that black holes form through supernova explosions is under scrutiny. V404 Cygni’s unique setup suggests an alternative explanation—direct collapse—where a star implodes into a black hole without the dramatic supernova flash.
Direct Collapse
Simulations indicate that V404 Cygni’s trinary could only form if the black hole emerged through direct collapse. With little ejected material, this formation method preserves the wide-orbiting star’s gravitational tether, suggesting black holes can be born quietly.
Gaia’s Insight
ESA’s Gaia mission mapped the trinary’s movement, confirming that V404 Cygni and its distant companion move in sync. Gaia’s precision allows astronomers to study such rare formations, potentially unveiling more silent black holes hiding in space.
Rare Evidence
This trinary is the strongest evidence yet for direct-collapse black holes. Finding more systems like V404 Cygni could change how we understand black hole origins, favoring silent implosions over explosive supernovae in certain cosmic scenarios.
Simulated Origins
Physicist Kevin Burdge and his team ran thousands of simulations, finding direct collapse as the best explanation for V404 Cygni’s unusual structure. This discovery opens doors to understanding black holes formed under calmer, less violent conditions.
Future Prospects
Astronomers like Kareem El-Badry believe this trinary could reveal a trend—perhaps many black hole systems are triples, not pairs. If true, trinary systems could answer long-standing questions about black hole evolution, suggesting hidden companions are more common than we thought.