Discovery of First Black Hole Triple System

Scientists have discovered the first black hole triple system, located 8,000 light years away in the Cygnus constellation. The system consists of a central black hole, V404 Cygni, orbited by two stars—one in a close 6.5-day orbit and another in a distant 70,000-year orbit. This unusual configuration, discovered by researchers from Caltech and MIT, suggests a new formation mechanism called “direct collapse,” where a massive star forms a black hole without a supernova explosion. The discovery challenges existing black hole theories, encouraging further research into similar cosmic systems and the complex dynamics of black hole formation.