Since the new triple system includes a very far-off star, the system’s black hole was potentially born through that gentler direct collapse. While astronomers have been observing violent supernovae for centuries, this new triple system may be the first evidence of a black hole that formed from this more gentle process.

Physicists at MIT and Caltech have discovered the first “black hole triple,” a formation more than 8,000 light years from Earth that experts say expands the current understanding of how black holes form.

MIT physicists have discovered the first-ever "black hole triple" system, challenging existing theories of black hole formation.

Many black holes detected to date appear to be part of a pair. These binary systems comprise a black hole and a secondary object—such as a star, a much denser neutron star, or another black hole—that spiral around each other,

The first “black hole triple” system has been spotted by physicists some 8,000 light-years away, challenging the current understanding of how these space objects form. Most black holes are usually part of a pair, made up of a black hole and a star or another black hole that orbit each other in a celestial dance.