The discovery of the first black hole triple system challenges our understanding of how these objects form.

Astronomers accidentally discovered the first black hole triple system, which consists of a black hole and two stars orbiting it. This unique triple combination shows that the black hole in the system was not born through a supernova process, and therefore questions our knowledge of how these cosmic objects are formed.

So far, most of the black holes discovered (with the exception of the supermassive types at the center of galaxies) have been found in binary systems. In these systems, another large body such as a star, a neutron star, or a smaller black hole orbits the black hole. The reason for the easier observation of these invisible objects in these systems is the easier identification of their gravitational influence on other objects.

However, in a new study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, October 23, researchers found that one of the known binary systems that includes the black hole V404 Cygni and a companion star actually has another star that is farther away. The placenta rotates.

Gravitational calculations show that if the black hole was born by an exploding star (supernova), the newly discovered star could not survive in such a fragile system; Because in this case, the distant star would be repelled from the system due to the shock wave resulting from the explosion. Instead, researchers suggest that the black hole formed through the gradual collapse of a third massive star that once had two other stars in its orbit. According to Kevin Burge, MIT astrophysicist and senior author of the study:

Such a possibility is exciting for black hole evolution. We think most black holes are the result of massive stellar explosions, but this discovery calls that assumption into question.