The Closest Black Hole to Earth Is Gaia BH1 at Only 1,600 Light-Years Away

The Closest Black Hole to Earth: Gaia BH1

Gaia BH1 is the nearest known black hole to Earth, located approximately 1,600 light-years away. Although it is dormant, it remains a significant discovery in astrophysics.

Understanding Black Holes

Black holes are extremely powerful cosmic objects that pull in and absorb anything within their reach, including planets, stars, and even other black holes, which can merge to form larger ones. Supermassive black holes typically reside at the center of large galaxies, like our Milky Way.

Safety Concerns

The closest black hole, Gaia BH1, poses no threat to Earth due to its distance and inactivity. Likewise, TON 618, the largest known black hole, lies much farther away from us.

“We should be super happy that we discovered them and we can consider them as a friend,” says Sara Rastello, an astrophysicist at the University of Barcelona who has studied Gaia BH1.

Discovery of Gaia BH1

The discovery was announced in 2023 by astronomers using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite, which operated between 2014 and 2025. The satellite tracked the movements of stars in our galaxy, leading to the identification of this nearby black hole at about 480 parsecs from Earth.

Gaia BH1’s discovery enhances our understanding of black holes and their presence in the galaxy without presenting danger to our solar system.

Author’s Summary

Gaia BH1 is the closest dormant black hole, safely located 1,600 light-years away, confirming that nearby black holes are not a threat to Earth.

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Discover Magazine Discover Magazine — 2025-11-05

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