Black Hole Update: Black hole called ‘The Unicorn’ found ‘near’ Earth

In the vast cosmic ocean, where stars twinkle and galaxies spiral, there emerges a tale of an enigmatic entity, a black hole, unlike any we've known. 

This newly discovered celestial wonder, nestled in the embrace of a red giant star, has been aptly named the "Unicorn" – not just for its rarity but also for its location in the constellation Monoceros, the Greek word for 'unicorn'.

The "Unicorn" is a testament to the universe's capacity for wonder. It is a stellar mass black hole, weighing in at a mere three times the mass of our Sun. Such a size places it in a mysterious realm, a so-called "mass gap" between the heaviest neutron stars and the lightest black holes previously known.

Black holes, these enigmatic regions of spacetime where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape, have long captivated our imagination. Predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, they are the universe's ultimate enigmas, holding secrets of the cosmos' very fabric.

The discovery of the "Unicorn" challenges our understanding of these cosmic behemoths. Its existence hints at the intricate dance of stellar evolution, where stars, depending on their mass, meet varied fates – from the serene shedding of outer layers to form nebulae to the cataclysmic explosions known as supernovae.

Yet, the "Unicorn" remains elusive, revealing itself not through its own light but through the gravitational pull it exerts on its red giant companion. This gravitational dance causes tidal distortions, altering the shape and light of the star, and whispering to us the presence of this hidden black hole.

As we continue our cosmic journey, discoveries like the "Unicorn" remind us of the universe's vastness and mystery. In the words of Carl Sagan, "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

Research Paper