The Hunt for Hidden Black Holes—and How You Can Help

Aadhya Tibrewal, Jadetimes Staff

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Sagittarius A*, the black hole at our galaxy’s centre. Picture credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration.

Scientists involved in the hunt for hidden black holes are giving the public a practical way to participate. Through Black Hole Hunters, volunteers examine graphs showing changes in a star’s brightness. They help identify patterns that researchers may want to investigate further. No personal telescope is needed to examine the online data.

A black hole contains matter packed so tightly that light cannot escape once it crosses the event horizon. This boundary makes direct observation difficult. Scientists therefore often study a black hole’s effects on nearby matter and light. Those effects can provide clues about an object that would otherwise remain unseen.

This particular hunt focuses on an effect called self-lensing. In certain systems, a black hole passes in front of its companion star from our viewpoint, and its gravity bends and magnifies the star’s light. Volunteers look for possible signs of that temporary brightening in light curves, which record brightness over time. They are examining measurements rather than ordinary photographs.

Public help has supported the project since its original launch in 2021 using SuperWASP observations. A later version began in January 2024 with data from NASA’s TESS satellite. The research team reported around half a million classifications during that version’s first week. The project is an ongoing effort with several years of work behind it.

An interesting result in the hunt remains a possible candidate until researchers complete further checks. Other explanations must be considered, and additional observations may be needed. The team says confirming early candidates could take years. This careful verification prevents an exciting possibility from being presented as a confirmed discovery.

Projects like this show how you can explore an interest in astronomy through citizen science. Participation offers a closer look at the patience, detail and uncertainty involved in research. A volunteer may never discover a black hole, but they can learn how scientists investigate difficult questions. That experience can make space research feel much more accessible.