Astronomers find closest black hole to Earth

Black holes are usually hard to spot because they take in everything in their surroundings, including light. But scientists found the one that is closest to Earth. But not to worry, it's still 1,000 light years away.

A team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have discovered the closest black hole to planet Earth, lying 1,000 light-years away. It is part of a star system that can be seen with the naked eye.

"This system contains the closest known black hole to Earth that we know of," said ESO astronomer Thomas Rivinius, who led the study that was published in the science journal Astronomy & Astrophysics on Wednesday.

The previously closest black hole to planet Earth is thought to be about three times further away, about 3,200 light-years, said Rivinius. One light-year equals around 9.5 trillion kilometers (5.9 trillion miles).

The new black hole, which measures some 40 kilometers (25 miles) in diameter, is located in the constellation of Telescopium, in the Southern Hemisphere.

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