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Keyword: groj165540

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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The View Near a Black Hole

    03/23/2014 4:38:43 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 17 replies
    NASA ^ | March 23, 2014 | (see photo credit)
    Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole. Studies of the bright light emitted by the swirling gas frequently indicate not only that a black hole is present, but also likely attributes. The gas surrounding GRO J1655-40, for example, has been found to display an unusual flickering at a rate of 450 times a second. Given a previous mass estimate for the central object of seven times the mass of our Sun, the rate of the fast flickering can be explained by a black...
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Diner at the Center of the Galaxy

    12/29/2011 9:54:25 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 20 replies
    NASA ^ | December 30, 2011 | (see photo credit)
    Explanation: The monster at the center of our Galaxy is about to get fed. Recent observations by the Very Large Telescopes indicate that a cloud of gas will venture too close to the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. The gas cloud is being disrupted, stretched out, heated up, and some of it is expected to fall into the black hole over the next two years. In this artist's illustration, what remains of the blob after a close pass to the black hole is shown in red and yellow, arching out from the gravitational death trap to its right....