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The Closest Black Holes to Earth are Probably Hidden in This Nearby Star Cluster


The Hyades cluster is the closest open star cluster to Earth, located at a distance of about 150 light-years. Although black holes haven't been directly seen in the cluster, it's an excellent place to search for them because the largest stars would have detonated as supernovae and collapsed in neutron stars and black holes. Astronomers have simulated the motions of stars in the cluster with black holes lurking around and then compared them to the motions of the actual stars. They only matched with the presence of black holes near the center of the cluster.

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