Astronomers want your help finding 'missing' black holes in the Milky Way

Citizen scientists are being recruited by astronomers to identify previously undetected black holes within our own Milky Way galaxy. The initiative utilizes publicly available data collected by NASA telescopes, specifically targeting faint gravitational signals that could indicate a black hole’s presence. Researchers believe many smaller black holes remain undiscovered due to their weak gravitational effects and proximity to other stars. Volunteers will analyze light curves from observations made between 2001 and 2016, searching for subtle dips in brightness caused by matter falling into these dark objects. Successful detection of these ‘missing’ black holes would significantly enhance our understanding of galactic structure and the population of stellar-mass black holes.