Astronomy
- A Supermassive Black Hole In A Dwarf Galaxy
A supermassive black hole exists in the center of our galaxy, with an incredible mass on the order of 4 million times that of the Sun. Our galaxy is not alone; most large galaxies also possess very large black holes as well. This leads to some interesting...
- Mysterious Object G2 May Have Increased The Feeding Rate Of Milky Way's Center Black Hole.
A recent close passage of a mysterious dusty object called G2, may have increased the feeding rate of a supermassive black hole which, weighs slightly more than 4 million times the mass of Sun at the center our galaxy. This information...
- Black Hole With Mass Of 140 Million Suns Discovered
Researchers have discovered a massive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy which has the mass of 140 million Suns. The black hole is in the heart of galaxy NGC 1097, which is 47 million light-years away from Earth. According to...
- Study Reveals The Link Between Black Holes And Galaxy Merger
In a recent survey, scientists have found a clear link between the presence of super-massive black holes that power high-speed radio-signal emitting jets and the merger history of their host galaxies. It was also discovered that almost all of the...
- Galaxy That Shines With The Light Of More Than 300 Trillion Suns Discovered
NASA's WISE [Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer] telescope has discovered a remote galaxy that shines with the light of more than 300 trillion suns, making it the most luminous galaxy ever found. The galaxy, known as WISE J224607.57-052635.0...
Astronomy
Hubble witnesses flaring in jet from black hole
A flare-up in a jet of matter blasting from a monster black hole is giving astronomers an incredible light show.
The outburst is coming from a blob of matter, called HST-1, embedded in the jet, a powerful narrow beam of hot gas produced by a supermassive black hole residing in the core of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. HST-1 is so bright that it is outshining even M87's brilliant core, whose monster black hole is one of the most massive yet discovered.
The outburst is coming from a blob of matter, called HST-1, embedded in the jet, a powerful narrow beam of hot gas produced by a supermassive black hole residing in the core of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. HST-1 is so bright that it is outshining even M87's brilliant core, whose monster black hole is one of the most massive yet discovered.
The glowing gas clump has taken astronomers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Astronomers watched HST-1 brighten steadily for several years, then fade, and then brighten again. They say it's hard to predict what will happen next.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been following the surprising activity for seven years, providing the most detailed ultraviolet-light view of the event. Other telescopes have been monitoring HST-1 in other wavelengths, including radio and X-rays. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was the first to report the brightening in 2000. HST-1 was first discovered and named by Hubble astronomers in 1999. The gas knot is 214 light-years from the galaxy's core.
The flare-up may provide insights into the variability of black hole jets in distant galaxies, which are difficult to study because they are too far away. M87 is located 54 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster, a region of the nearby universe with the highest density of galaxies.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been following the surprising activity for seven years, providing the most detailed ultraviolet-light view of the event. Other telescopes have been monitoring HST-1 in other wavelengths, including radio and X-rays. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was the first to report the brightening in 2000. HST-1 was first discovered and named by Hubble astronomers in 1999. The gas knot is 214 light-years from the galaxy's core.
The flare-up may provide insights into the variability of black hole jets in distant galaxies, which are difficult to study because they are too far away. M87 is located 54 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster, a region of the nearby universe with the highest density of galaxies.
Despite the many observations by Hubble and other telescopes, astronomers are not sure what is causing the brightening. One of the simplest explanations is that the jet is hitting a dust lane or gas cloud and then glows due to the collision. Another possibility is that the jet's magnetic field lines are squeezed together, unleashing a large amount of energy. This phenomenon is similar to how solar flares develop on the Sun and is even a mechanism for creating Earth's auroras.
- A Supermassive Black Hole In A Dwarf Galaxy
A supermassive black hole exists in the center of our galaxy, with an incredible mass on the order of 4 million times that of the Sun. Our galaxy is not alone; most large galaxies also possess very large black holes as well. This leads to some interesting...
- Mysterious Object G2 May Have Increased The Feeding Rate Of Milky Way's Center Black Hole.
A recent close passage of a mysterious dusty object called G2, may have increased the feeding rate of a supermassive black hole which, weighs slightly more than 4 million times the mass of Sun at the center our galaxy. This information...
- Black Hole With Mass Of 140 Million Suns Discovered
Researchers have discovered a massive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy which has the mass of 140 million Suns. The black hole is in the heart of galaxy NGC 1097, which is 47 million light-years away from Earth. According to...
- Study Reveals The Link Between Black Holes And Galaxy Merger
In a recent survey, scientists have found a clear link between the presence of super-massive black holes that power high-speed radio-signal emitting jets and the merger history of their host galaxies. It was also discovered that almost all of the...
- Galaxy That Shines With The Light Of More Than 300 Trillion Suns Discovered
NASA's WISE [Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer] telescope has discovered a remote galaxy that shines with the light of more than 300 trillion suns, making it the most luminous galaxy ever found. The galaxy, known as WISE J224607.57-052635.0...