You repeatedly measure the radial velocity of what seems to be a single main-sequence star like the Sun, but find that it is in fact orbiting in a tight orbit around another object that remains unseen. From measurement of the velocity and orbital period, you calculate that the unseen object has a mass 20 times that of the Sun-like star. Why might this object be a black hole?

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The Answer of You repeatedly measure the radial velocity of what seems to be a single main-sequence star like the Sun, but find that it is in fact orbiting in a tight orbit around another object that remains unseen. From measurement of the velocity and orbital period, you calculate that the unseen object has a mass 20 times that of the Sun-like star. Why might this object be a black hole?

You Repeatedly Measure the Radial Velocity of What Seems to Be