(bold type indicates the strongest candidates)
Stellar-mass black holes in binary star systems
detectable due to interactions with the companion star (black hole mass, 3-20 solar masses)
| candidate des. visible star des. | R.A. dec. | distance [light years] | companion star V magnitude and spectrum | period [hrs] and (semimajor axis [km]) | mass [in MSun] of black hole and (companion star) | black hole circumference [km] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX J0042.3+4115 | 00h42m22.94s +41°15'34.0" | 2,500,000 | ||||
| 3U 0042+32 | 00h44m50.4s +33°01'17" | G | 278 (<20,000,000) | |||
| XTE J0421+560 CI Cam | 04h19m41s +56°00'00" | B e I | ||||
| GRO J0422+32 Nova Per 1992 | 04h21m46.9s +32°54'36" | 6,500 | 22 M2 V | 5.0918 (1,800,000) | 4.3±0.7 (0.45) | 80 |
| LMC X-3 | 05h38m56.4s -64°05'01" | 180,000 | 16.7 B3 Ve | 40.9150 (9,600,000) | 7.6±1.6 (4.5) | 140 |
| LMC X-1 R148 | 05h39m38.7s -69°44'36" | 180,000 | 14 O7 III-V | 101.491 (27,000,000) | 7±3 (35) | 130 |
| A 0620-00 Nova Mon 1975 | 06h22m44.5s -00°20'45" | 2,700 | 18 K4 V | 7.7524 (3,100,000) | 10.8±2.1 (0.6) | 200 |
| GRS 1009-45 Nova Vela 1993 | 10h13m36.3s -45°04'32" | 10,000 | K8 V | 6.8449 (2,100,000) | 4.2±0.6? (0.6?) | 80 |
| XTE J1118+480 KV Uma | 11h18m10.79s +48°02'11.2" | 14 K7-M0 V | 4.0783 (1,700,000) | 6.5±0.4 (0.3) | 120 | |
| GRS 1124-683 Nova Muscae 1991 | 11h26m26.7s -68°40'33" | 3,000 | 20 K5 V | 10.3825 (3,400,000) | 7.3±0.9 (1.0) | 140 |
| GS 1354-645 BW Cir | 13h58m09.92s -64°44'04.9" | 16.9 | ||||
| 4U 1543-47 IL Lup | 15h47m08.6s -47°40'09" | 13,000 | 17 A2 V | 26.7938 (7,200,000) | 9.4±1.0 (2.7) | 170 |
| XTE J1550-564 | 15h50m58.78s -56°28'35.0" | 8,500 | 16.0 K3 III | 37.044 (8,600,000) | 9.6±1.2 (0.9) | 180 |
| A1524-617 KZ TrA | 16h32m16.8s -67°27'43" | 18.5 | ||||
| 4U 1630-47 Nor X-1 | 16h34m01.61s -47°23'32" | 33,000 | ||||
| XTE J1650-500 | 16h50m01.0s -49°57'45" | ? G/K | 5.09 (2,100,000) | 8.2 ? | 150 | |
| GRO J1655-40 Nova Sco 1994 | 16h54m00.2s -39°50'45" | 10,000 | 14.4 F4IV | 62.926 (11,000,000) | 6.3±0.3 (2.4) | 120 |
| GRS 1659-487 GX 339-4 | 17h02m49.4s -48°47'22" | 13,000 | F8-G2 III | 14.8 (3,800,000) | 5.8±0.5 ? | 110 |
| H 1705-250 Nova Oph 1977 | 17h08m14.2s -25°05'32" | 33,000 | 21 K5 V | 12.5 (3,700,000) | 7.0±1.3 (0.3?) | 130 |
| XTE J1709-267 | 17h09m -26°42' | |||||
| GRS 1716-249 V2293 Oph | 17h19m36.9s -25°01'03" | 7,500 | M0-5 V | >4.9 ? | >90 | |
| XTE J1720-318 | 17h20m -31°48' | |||||
| KS 1730-31 | 17h30m -31° | |||||
| XTE J1739-302 | 17h39m -30°12' | |||||
| GRS 1737-31 | 17h40m09s -31°02'24" | |||||
| H 1741-322 | 17h41m -32° | |||||
| EXS 1737.9-2952 | 17h41m06s -29°53' | 30,000 | ||||
| GRS 1739-278 | 17h42m00.03s -27°44'52.7" | 32,000 | 23.2 >F5 V | |||
| 1E 1740.7-2942 | 17h44m03s -29°43'25" | 30,000 | 304.8 (<20,000,000) | |||
| H 1743-32 | 17h45m02s -32°13'36" | |||||
| XTE J17464-3213 | 17h46m15.61s -32°13'59.9" | |||||
| XTE J1748-288 | 17h48m -28°48' | |||||
| RX J1749.8-3312 | 17h49m50.6s -31°11'55" | |||||
| XTE J1755-324 | 17h55m -32°24' | |||||
| 4U 1755-338 V4134 Sgr | 17h58m40.0s -33°48'27" | 18.8 | 4.4 (<1,400,000) | |||
| GRS 1758-258 | 18h01m12.3s -25°44'36" | 26,000 | K | 442.8 (<30,000,000) | ||
| SAX J1805.5-246 | 18h05m34s -20°30'48" | |||||
| XTE J1806-246 | 18h06m -24°36' | |||||
| XTE J1819-254 V4641 Sgr | 18h19m21.58s -25°24'25.1" | 32,000 | B9 III | 67.6152 (13,000,000) | 7.1±0.3 (3.1) | 130 |
| RX J1826.2-1450 LS 5039 | 18h26m15.03s -14°50'53.6" | 11.23 O6.5 Vf | 98.81 (<10,000,000) | |||
| EXO 1846-031 | 18h49m17.1s -03°03'43.7" | |||||
| XTE J1856+053 | 18h56m39s +05°19'44" | |||||
| XTE J1859+226 V404 Vul | 18h58m41.5s +22°39'30" | G5 | 9.17 (3,500,000) | 9.8±2.2 (<1.5) | 180 | |
| XTE J1901+014 | 19h01m41s +01°26'18" | |||||
| XTE J1908+094 | 19h08m53.077s +09°23'04.90" | |||||
| SS433 V1343 Aql | 19h11m49.48s +04°58'57.8" | 16,000 | 14.2 A I | 314.09 (51,000,000) | 11±5 (19) | 200 |
| GRS 1915+105 XN Aql 1992 | 19h15m11.6s +10°56'45" | 39,000 | K-M III | 820 (77,000,000) | 14±4 (1.5) | 260 |
| 4U 1918+146 | 19h20m17s +14°42'19" | |||||
| Cygnus X-1 HDE 226868 | 19h58m21.7s +35°12'06" | 7,000 | 8.9 09.7 Iab | 134.396 (33,000,000) | 16±5 (31) | 300 |
| 4U 1957+115 V1408 Aql | 19h59m24.0s +11°42'30" | 18.7 | 9.3 (<2,000,000) | |||
| GS 2000+250 Nova Vul 1988 | 20h02m49.6s +25°14'11" | 6,500 | 21 K5 V | 8.2582 (2,900,000) | 7.5±0.3 (0.3) | 140 |
| XTE J2012+381 | 20h12m37.7s +38°11'01" | |||||
| GS 2023+338 V404 Cygni | 20h24m03.8s +33°52'04" | 8,000 | 12.7 K0 III | 155.31 (23,000,000) | 11.7±1.7 (0.6) | 220 |
| 2S 2318+62 | 23h18m +62° |
Isolated stellar-mass black holes
detectable due to gravitational lensing of background light (black hole mass, 3-20 solar masses)
| candidate des. visible star des. | R.A. dec. | distance (light years) | black hole mass (MSun) | black hole circumference (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SN 1997D (in NGC 1536) | 04h11m06s -56°29' | 46,000,000 | 3 | 55 |
| MACHO-98-BLG-6 | 17h57m32.8s -28°42'45" | 6,500 | 6 | 110 |
| MACHO-96-BLG-5 | 18h05m02.5s -27°42'17" | 6,500? | 6 | 110 |
| MACHO-99-BLG-22 OGLE-1999-BUL-32 | 18h05m05.35s -28°34'42.5" | 3-100 | 60-1,900 |
Intermediate mass black holes
massive black holes in galactic cores or star clusters (black hole mass, 100 to 100,000 solar masses)
| galaxy des. | R.A. dec. | distance (light years) | galaxy type | black hole mass (MSun) | black hole circumference (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-110 NGC 205 | 00h40m25s +41°41'16" | 2,300,000 | E6 | 90,000 | 1,700,000 |
| M-31 G1 NGC 224 | 00h42m44s +41°16'08" | (cluster) | 20,000 | 370,000 | |
| NGC 253 | 00h47m33s -25°17'18" | 10,000,000 | S5 | 100-10,000 | 2,000-200,000 |
| NGC 253 | 00h47m33s -25°17'18" | 10,000,000 | S5 | 100-10,000 | 2,000-200,000 |
| NGC 253 | 00h47m33s -25°17'18" | 10,000,000 | S5 | 100-10,000 | 2,000-200,000 |
| NGC 253 | 00h47m33s -25°17'18" | 10,000,000 | S5 | 100-10,000 | 2,000-200,000 |
| M-33 Triangulum NGC 598 | 01h33m51s +30°39'36" | 2,600,000 | Scd | 50,000 | 900,000 |
| NGC 1313 X-1 | 03h18m19.99s -66°29'10.97" | 12,000,000 | S | 100-1,000 | 2,000-20,000 |
| NGC 1313 X-2 | 03h18m22.34s -66°36'03.68" | 12,000,000 | S | 100-1,000 | 2,000-20,000 |
| M-82 NGC 3034 | 09h55m54s +69°40'57" | 12,000,000 | P | 460 | 8,500 |
| M-15 NGC 7078 | 21h29m58.3s +12°10'01" | 33,000 | (cluster) | 3,200 | 60,000 |
Galactic core black holes
supermassive black holes in galactic cores (black hole mass, millions to billions of solar masses)
| galaxy des. | R.A. dec. | distance (light years) | galaxy type | black hole mass (MSun) | black hole circumference (AU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-32 NGC 221 | 00h42m41.9s +40°51'52" | 2,600,000 | E2 | 2,500,000 | 0.3 |
| M-31 Andromeda NGC 224 | 00h42m44.3s +41°16'10" | 2,500,000 | Sb | 45,000,000 | 5.5 |
| NGC 821 | 02h08m21.14s +10°59'41.7" | 79,000,000 | E6 | 37,000,000 | 4.5 |
| 3C 66B | 02h23m11.4s +43°00'31" | 280,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 120 | |
| 3C 66B | 02h23m11.4s +43°00'31" | 280,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 120 | |
| NGC 1023 | 02h40m23.90s +39°03'46.3" | 37,000,000 | S0 | 44,000,000 | 5.5 |
| M-77 NGC 1068 | 02h42m40.7s -00°00'47" | 49,000,000 | Sb | 15,000,000 | 1.9 |
| NGC 1097 | 02h46m19.06s -30°16'29.7" | 47,000,000 | SB | 5,000,000 | 0.6 |
| Fornax A NGC 1316 | 03h22m41.6s -37°12'34" | 53,000,000 | Sab | ||
| NGC 1566 | 04h20m00.7s -54°56'17" | 50,000,000 | S(B)b+ | ||
| PKS 0521-365 | 05h22m57.98s -36°27'30.9" | 670,000,000 | 450,000,000 | 55 | |
| PKS 0548-322 | 05h50m40.5s -32°16'16" | 840,000,000 | 140,000,000 | 17 | |
| EXO 0706.1+5913 | 07h10m30.1s +59°08'21" | 1,500,000,000 | 180,000,000 | 20 | |
| APM 08279+5255 | 08h31m41.60s +52°45'16.8" | 12,000,000,000 | |||
| NGC 2778 | 09h12m24.35s +35°01'39.4" | 75,000,000 | E | 14,000,000 | 1.7 |
| NGC 2787 | 09h19m18.90s +69°12'11.9' | 24,000,000 | SB(r)0+ | 41,000,000 | 5 |
| M-81 NGC 3031 | 09h55m33s +69°03'55" | 13,000,000 | SA(s)ab | 68,000,000 | 8 |
| NGC 3079 | 10h01m58.53s +55°40'50.1" | S5 | |||
| Spindle NGC 3115 | 10h05m13.98s -07°43'06.9" | 32,000,000 | E6 | 1,000,000,000 | 120 |
| NGC 3245 | 10h27m18.52s +28°30'24.8" | 68,000,000 | SB(s)b | 210,000,000 | 26 |
| NGC 3377 | 10h47m42.40s +13°59'08.3" | 37,000,000 | E5 | 100,000,000 | 12 |
| M-105 NGC 3379 | 10h47m49.60s +12°34'53.9" | 35,000,000 | E1 | 100,000,000 | 12 |
| NGC 3384 | 10h48m16.90s +12°37'42.9" | 38,000,000 | SB(s)0- | 16,000,000 | 2 |
| Mrk 421 | 11h04m27s +38°12'32" | 370,000,000 | 190,000,000 | 25 | |
| NGC 3608 | 11h16m59.07s +18°08'54.6" | 75,000,000 | E2 | 190,000,000 | 25 |
| Mrk 180 | 11h36m26s 70°09'29" | 550,000,000 | 160,000,000 | 20 | |
| NGC 3894 | 11h48m50.36s +59°24'56.4" | E4 | |||
| NGC 3998 | 11h55m20s +55°44'06" | 70,000,000 | S0 | 20,000,000 | 2.5 |
| NGC 4151 | 12h10m32.579s +39°24'20.63" | 50,000,000 | P | 10,000,000 | 1.2 |
| M-106 NGC 4258 | 12h18m57.5s +47°18'14" | 23,000,000 | Sb+ | 39,000,000 | 4.8 |
| NGC 4261 | 12h19m23.2s +05°49'29" | 100,000,000 | E2 | 520,000,000 | 65 |
| NGC 4291 | 12h20m17.71s +75°22'17.9" | 85,000,000 | E | 310,000,000 | 40 |
| NGC 4350 | 12h23m57.78s +16°41'33.4" | L | |||
| NGC 4342 | 12h23m40.31s +07°02'52.5" | 50,000,000 | S0 | 300,000,000 | 40 |
| M-84 NGC 4374 | 12h25m03.7s +12°53'13" | 50,000,000 | E1 | 1,300,000,000 | 160 |
| NGC 4438 | 12h27m45.6s +13°00'32" | Sap | |||
| NGC 4459 | 12h29m00.03s +13°58'42.8" | 52,000,000 | E2 | 70,000,000 | 9 |
| NGC 4473 | 12h29m48.87s +13°25'45.7" | 51,000,000 | E5 | 110,000,000 | 14 |
| NGC 4486B | 12h30m31.85s +12°29'26.0" | 50,000,000 | E0 | 570,000,000 | 70 |
| M-87 Virgo A NGC 4486 | 12h30m49.5s +12°23'28" | 52,000,000 | E1 | 3,000,000,000 | 370 |
| NGC 4579 | 12h35m12s +12°05'36" | 55,000,000 | S | 2,000,000 | 0.25 |
| NGC 4564 | 12h36m26.99s +11°26'21.5" | 49,000,000 | E6 | 56,000,000 | 7 |
| NGC 4596 | 12h39m55.9s +10°10'35" | 55,000,000 | 78,000,000 | 10 | |
| M-104 Sombrero NGC 4594 | 12h39m59.3s -11°37'23" | 30,000,000 | Sb- | 500,000,000 | 60 |
| M-60 NGC 4649 | 12h43m39.7s +11°33'10" | 55,000,000 | E1 | 2,000,000,000 | 250 |
| NGC 4697 | 12h48m35.91s -05°48'03.1" | 38,000,000 | E6 | 170,000,000 | 21 |
| NGC 4742 | 12h51m47.92s -10°27'17.1" | 51,000,000 | E4 | 14,000,000 | 1.7 |
| NGC 4791 | 12h54m43.97s +08°03'10.7" | 200,000,000 | 25 | ||
| NGC 4945 | 13h05m27.6s -49°29'03" | 12,000,000 | Scd | 1,400,000 | 0.17 |
| NGC 5033 | 13h11m08s +36°51'48" | 61,000,000 | S | 510,000,000 | 60 |
| Centaurus A NGC 5128 | 13h25m27.7s -43°01'09" | 10,000,000 | S0 | 240,000,000 | 30 |
| M-51 Whirlpool NGC 5194 | 13h29m52.4s +47°11'41" | 23,000,000 | Sc | ||
| MCG-6-30-15 | 13h33m01.97s -34°02'44" | 150,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 13 | |
| NGC 5845 | 15h06m00.90s +01°38'01.4" | 84,000,000 | E3 | 240,000,000 | 30 |
| AP Lib | 15h17m41.81s -24°22'19.5" | 600,000,000 | 120,000,000 | 15 | |
| Arp 220 | 15h34m57.3s +23°30'12" | 250,000,000 | S? | ||
| NGC 6251 | 16h32m31.97s +82°32'16.5" | 300,000,000 | E2 | 530,000,000 | 65 |
| Mrk 501 | 16h53m53s +39°45'36" | 420,000,000 | 1,600,000,000 | 200 | |
| J1728.2+5013 =1 Zw 187 | 17h28m13.9s +50°13'10" | 670,000,000 | 72,000,000 | 9 | |
| Milky Way | 17h45m37.1991s -28°56'10.221" | 26,000 | Sb+ | 3,000,000 | 0.4 |
| 3C 371 | 18h06m05.6s +69°49'28.1" | 620,000,000 | 320,000,000 | 40 | |
| NGC 7052 | 21h18m33.13s +26°26'48.7" | 190,000,000 | E4 | 330,000,000 | 40 |
| PKS 2201+044 | 22h04m17.7s +04°40'03" | 330,000,000 | 130,000,000 | 16 | |
| IC 1459 | 22h57m11s -36°29'00" | 43,000,000 | E3 | 2,500,000,000 | 300 |
| NGC 7457 | 23h01m00.05s +30°08'43.4" | 43,000,000 | Ep | 3,500,000 | 0.4 |
| 1ES 2344+514 | 23h47m04.8s +51°42'18" | 540,000,000 | 630,000,000 | 80 | |
Notes: Right ascension and declination are for J2000. Distance and mass figures are highly uncertain. Black hole circumference figures are derived from mass estimates and are also highly uncertain. Listed candidates are of varying credibility.
Source list is under construction. Sources include:
Map of sky locations of black hole candidates: stellar-mass black holes in red, intermediate-mass black holes in purple, supermassive black holes in blue. Base image: Tycho sky map from JPL's Solar System Simulator.
© 2001-2003, 2004 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 30 January 2004.
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