ESO/M. Kornmesser.
Posted on 11/09/2013 11:07:04 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Astronomers from York University in Canada have identified an undocumented type of quasar where gas appears to be getting sucked into a black hole. This may not sound surprising, but current theories say that isn't supposed to happen.
Quasars are hyperactive and extremely bright discs of hot gas that surround supermassive black holes. They're also known as galactic nucleuses. The Milky Way has one at its center. All the junk that's rapidly spinning down the drain hole forms a compact disc with a radius that's larger than Earth's orbit around the Sun and a temperature that's hotter than the surface of a star. They are so unbelievably bright that they can actually be seen across the observable universe, making them one of the most luminous objects known to science.
Observations show that this gas gets blown away from the black hole by the intense heat and light of the quasar -- and it does so at incredible velocities, sometimes reaching upwards of 20% the speed of light. This creates cosmic winds that can affect the galaxy surrounding the quasar.
Now, gas in the disc will eventually fall into the black hole to power the quasar. But scientists have never actually seen it flowing into the black hole through the disc. It would be like watching an object take a direct route into a drain hole instead of spinning around and around until it reaches bottom.
But this is exactly what the astronomers observed.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
ESO/M. Kornmesser.
Better: nuclei.
Regards,
Better: nuclei.
Thank you. I nearly gagged on the author's word.
“an object take a direct route into a drain hole instead of spinning around and around until it reaches bottom.”
Kind of like our tax dollars.
Chum of mine when a child blew some liquid in her families quaser black hole with the result of nearly burning the house down. I bet that was kinda spectacular too.
:’)
Have the Democrats invited it to our soil?
Not yet, and it’s easy to tell — quasar is a contraction of “quasi-stellar object”, and that term will be condemned as racist before they take the step of inviting one down. :’)
OK
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