Two black holes 10 to 20 times heavier than Sun

IN THE MILKY WAY , 2 BLACK HOLES AMID OLD STARS...

In an unexpected finding, astronomers have discovered two dense black holes inside an ancient cluster of stars in the Milky Way. The two black holes in the globular cluster M22 are about 10 to 20 times heavier than Sun. Black holes, so dense that even light can't escape them, are what is left when a massivestar reaches the end of its life and collapses in on itself.

James Miller Jones, from Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), said the discovery of two black holes in same cluster was a complete surprise. All the theory up to now says that should not happen in the globular cluster that is 12 billion years old. The black holes, according to Miler Jones, are the first to be found in globular cluster in our galaxy. M22 is about 10,000 light years from Earth but can be seen clearly with a backyard telescope. "M22 may contain as many as 100 black holes but we can't detect them unless they are actively feeding on nearby stars," he said.