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Scientists can't believe the new discovery about black holes

Julián Castillo's avatar

By Julian Castillo

May 9, 2024, 8:00 PM EDT

An amazing discovery is generating a stir in the scientific community, since the Researchers may have discovered a new category of black holes that challenges our current understanding of the universe.

“Featherweight” black holes

This exciting development suggests the existence of what have been called “featherweight black holes.”extremely light cosmic objects that could have emerged in the first moments after the Big Bang.

The study of black holes has long been a fascinating and challenging field for astronomy and physics. From the enormous supermassive black holes that inhabit the centers of galaxies to the smallest stellar black holes, the variety and complexity of these cosmic phenomena continue to baffle scientists.

Until now, black holes were believed to form primarily from the collapse of massive stars., giving rise to extremely dense objects with immense gravitational force. However, a team of researchers led by William DeRocco of the University of California has proposed a radical theory that challenges this established notion.

big Bang

According to DeRocco and his team, Featherweight black holes could have emerged during a period known as “inflation,” which occurred just after the Big Bang. During this time of exponential expansion of the universe, conditions could have been conducive to the creation of black holes with extremely low mass, comparable to that of Earth.

This concept directly challenges the conventional idea that black holes are predominantly massive and form from the death of giant stars. Instead, suggests there is a whole new class of black holes that could have existed since the dawn of the universe.

DeRocco’s team has found promising hints of the existence of these mysterious featherweight black holes through recent observations using NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. These observations have revealed intriguing clues through the microlensing phenomenon, suggesting that primordial black holes could be much more common than previously thought.

What are the implications of this discovery?

The Nancy Grace Roman telescope, with its ability to distinguish between primordial black holes and other celestial objects, is positioning itself as an invaluable tool in the search for and understanding of these elusive cosmic phenomena.

The discovery of featherweight black holes would have significant implications in a variety of scientific areas. From providing a new understanding of dark matter to shedding light on galaxy formation, these findings could fundamentally change our understanding of the universe.

This exciting development marks a milestone in the exploration of the cosmos and promises to open new avenues of research in the field of astronomy and physics. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of black holes, it is exciting to contemplate the infinite possibilities this discovery could bring.

Keep reading:
– “Possibly the most hellish place in the universe”: the enormous black hole that devours a sun every day
– They find the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy “very close” to Earth
– What is the Great Attractor, the mysterious region of the cosmos towards which thousands of galaxies, including the Milky Way, are heading?