Unicorn … Small Black Hole Discovered near Earth

This artist rendering provided by NASA shows a star being swallowed by a black hole, and emitting an X-ray flare, shown in red, in the process. (NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory/M.Weiss via AP/File)
This artist rendering provided by NASA shows a star being swallowed by a black hole, and emitting an X-ray flare, shown in red, in the process. (NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory/M.Weiss via AP/File)
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Unicorn … Small Black Hole Discovered near Earth

This artist rendering provided by NASA shows a star being swallowed by a black hole, and emitting an X-ray flare, shown in red, in the process. (NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory/M.Weiss via AP/File)
This artist rendering provided by NASA shows a star being swallowed by a black hole, and emitting an X-ray flare, shown in red, in the process. (NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory/M.Weiss via AP/File)

Since a research team released the image of a newly discovered black hole on April 10, 2019, the study of this cosmic body gained much momentum, as it is the smallest black hole on record, and the closest to our planet.

Black holes are characterized with great gravity that nothing, not even particles or electromagnetic radiation like light, can escape. They usually have huge masses, larger than that of the sun. The newest discovery in this field is a black hole called "Unicorn," and it was announced on April 18, in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The researchers named it "Unicorn" because of its unique size, and because it was found in Monoceros, a relatively dim constellation that exists to the east of the Orion constellation, and to the north of Sirius star in the constellation Canis Major.

Astronomers at the Ohio State University discovered the new black hole while examining a giant star in the constellation Monoceros, using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT).

They noticed that the star's light intensity and shape shift in different spots around the orbit, suggesting that another object is tugging on the star and changing its shape. The team believed the object is likely a black hole, and estimated it is a small one.

Although the mass of some black holes is millions of times larger than the sun's, the team estimates that the mass of Unicorn is only three times that of our sun. This indicates that the newly discovered black hole is smaller than the usually discovered ones. Few black holes with such small mass had been found in the universe. Lying a mere 1,500 light-years from us, Unicorn is considered close to the Earth.



Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

 A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

 A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)

A rare pudu fawn was born in a biopark in Argentina earlier this month, giving scientists and conservationists a unique chance to study and collect data on the tiny enigmatic deer.

Weighing just 1.21 kg (2.7 lbs), the delicate, fragile and white-spotted male pudu fawn was named Lenga after a tree species endemic to the Andean Patagonian forest of Chile and Argentina.

"It's a very enigmatic animal, it's not easy to see," said Maximiliano Krause, Lenga's caretaker at the Temaiken Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving wild species.

Pudus are one of the smallest deer species in the world, growing up to 50-cm (20-inches) tall and weighing up to 12 kg (26.5 lbs).

At just a fraction of that weight, Krause says Lenga is spending his days exploring the park with his mother Chalten and father Nicolino. Lenga is breastfeeding for the first two months until he can handle a herbivorous diet.

After that, Lenga will lose his white spots that help fawns camouflage themselves in their environment. Krause says the mottled color helps the tiny baby deer hide from both daytime and nighttime predators. At about one year, pudus develop antlers and reach up to 10 cm (4 inches).

Pudus are very elusive animals and flee in zig-zags when chased by predators. The tiny deer also face threats from wild dogs and species introduced into southern Argentina and Chile. Only about 10,000 pudus remain and are classified as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"This pudu birth is obviously a joy for us," said Cristian Guillet, director of zoological operations at the Temaiken Foundation.

Guillet said that Lenga will help them research and gather data that will help conservation efforts for pudus and other Patagonian deer, like the huemul.

"(This) offers hope of saving them from extinction," Guillet said.