Estimating the number of black holes is difficult because they are not directly detectable, however, astronomers are tirelessly working to determine the number of black holes up there in space. Before we get on to the question: “How Many Black Holes Are There?” We need to know that there are about three types of black holes, including; stellar, intermediate, and supermassive black holes. All of the three types exhibit different properties and behaviors and hence have different numbers as well. For instance; possibly there can be 10 to 100 million stellar-mass black holes in space, on the other hand, there are about 150 confirmed supermassive black holes in the universe. Let’s dive deep into further details.
How many black holes are there?
There are about 50 stellar, 305 intermediate and 150 supermassive black holes present in space. Astronomers believe that there could be 100 million to 1 billion black holes that are yet to be discovered.
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How many Stellar-Mass black holes are there?
There are about 50 confirmed stellar black holes. These are the smallest black holes in the universe which forms by the gravitational collapse of a star. Stellar Black Holes have masses ranging from 5 to tens of solar masses.
How many Intermediate black holes are there?
There are about 305 intermediate black holes. These are mid-sized black holes which form when multiple stellar-mass black holes undergo a series of mergers with one another, with masses between 100 to 100,000 times the mass of the Sun.
How many Supermassive black holes are there?
There are about 150 confirmed supermassive black holes in space. These are the largest of all the previously mentioned black holes, with millions to billions of solar masses.
How many types of black holes are there?
There are three types of black holes in space including; stellar, intermediate, and supermassive.
Stellar-Mass Black Holes:
Stellar-mass black holes are formed from the remnants of massive stars that undergo supernova explosions.
Intermediate Black Holes:
Intermediate black holes, as the name suggests, have masses that fall between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes.
Supermassive Black Holes:
Supermassive black holes, which reside in the centres of galaxies, are much larger than stellar-mass black holes.
How many black holes are in the Milky Way galaxy?
Our Milky Way galaxy may be holding 10 million to 1 billion black holes, however, this number is yet to be confirmed. Almost every large galaxy such as our own milky way galaxy holds a massive black hole that resides in its centre. These gigantic black bodies can hold 4 million times the mass of the Sun.
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How many black holes are discovered – how many black holes have been discovered?
There are around 50 stellar, 305 intermediate, and 150 supermassive black holes discovered in the universe (according to the data provided in 2022). On the other hand, the research is still going on and there are predictions that there could be 100 million to 1 billion black holes present in the universe.
How many black holes are there in our solar system?
Our Solar System orbits the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy, and there is only one supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A* that resides in the “CENTRE” of the “Milky Way Galaxy”. However, there are “NO” black holes that directly reside in our solar system.