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Our Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole Has Emitted a Mysteriously Bright Flare
Science Alert ^ | 12 AUG 2019 | MICHELLE STARR

Posted on 08/12/2019 1:39:07 PM PDT by BenLurkin

The supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*, is relatively quiet. It's not an active nucleus, spewing light and heat into the space around it; most of the time, the black hole's activity is low key, with minimal fluctuations in its brightness.

When we view that radiation with a telescope using the infrared range, it translates as brightness. Normally, the brightness of Sgr A* flickers a bit like a candle, varying from minutes to hours. But when the surroundings of a black hole flare that brightly, it's a sign something may have gotten close enough to be grabbed by its gravity.

The team is busily gathering data to try and narrow it down, but there are two immediate possibilities. One is G2, an object thought to be a gas cloud that approached within 36 light-hours of Sgr A* in 2014. If it was a gas cloud, this proximity should have torn it to shreds, and parts of it devoured by the black hole - yet nothing happened.

"One of the possibilities," Do told ScienceAlert, "is that the star S0-2, when it passed close to the black hole last year, changed the way gas flows into the black hole, and so more gas is falling on it, leading it to become more variable."

More observations will take place over the coming weeks with the ground-based Keck Observatory before the galactic centre is no longer visible at night from Earth.

But many other telescopes - including Spitzer, Chandra, Swift and ALMA - were observing the galactic centre over the last few months, too. Their data could reveal different aspects of the physics of the change in brightness, and help us understand what Sgr A* is up to.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; blackhole; haltonarp; milkyway; sagittariusa; science; stringtheory
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To: Openurmind

The center of the Milky Way is supposed to be 23,000 light years from Earth. I do not believe the center is 1,000 light years across, but do not know for sure. It is a guess from that.


21 posted on 08/12/2019 2:49:42 PM PDT by Ingtar (Funds Robbed from Everyone Else. F.R.E.E.)
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To: Openurmind

Sagittarius A is about 26,000 light years away from us. The events being seen today, happened 26,000 years ago.


22 posted on 08/12/2019 2:52:48 PM PDT by rednesss (fascism is the union,marriage,merger or fusion of corporate economic power with governmental power)
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To: Ingtar

I see now, so how long it may have taken to get here for us to see it then? If so then thank you!


23 posted on 08/12/2019 2:54:01 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: rednesss

I understand now what he was referring to. Thank you. :)


24 posted on 08/12/2019 2:55:14 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind

Yes. That is why I said if Einstein is correct. :)


25 posted on 08/12/2019 2:57:25 PM PDT by Ingtar (Funds Robbed from Everyone Else. F.R.E.E.)
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To: mewzilla
Black holes pass gas.

Who knew!

And I thought only Uranus was a gas planet.

26 posted on 08/12/2019 3:03:41 PM PDT by seawolf101 (Member LES DEPLORABLES)
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To: NohSpinZone

Darn that Johnny and his hi-jinx !


27 posted on 08/12/2019 3:05:03 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Who will think of the gerbils ? Just say no to Buttgiggity !)
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To: Openurmind

Interesting article!
And I thought Moya was only allowed to starburst.


28 posted on 08/12/2019 3:05:11 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Ingtar

Makes me wonder how far behind any radiation if emitted from this event would be traveling? Wonder what the difference in speed would be from that of light?


29 posted on 08/12/2019 3:05:54 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: BenLurkin
"Our Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole..."

I should've read the entire title. I was thinking this thread was going to be about Sheila Jackson Lee!

30 posted on 08/12/2019 3:08:37 PM PDT by Paal Gulli
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To: Reily

It’s a pretty interesting theory for sure. Apparently the issue here on earth would be that the wave would strip away our protective magnetosphere and also blast plasma from the sun into us on top of being exposed.


31 posted on 08/12/2019 3:14:53 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind

Which would mean an increase in charged particles hitting the earth ergo more cloud cover cooler times.


32 posted on 08/12/2019 3:19:15 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Reily

But if it blasts plasma from the sun into us it could be catastrophic in the least.


33 posted on 08/12/2019 3:29:56 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind

Depends on the size & intensity of the CME. We do get them more often then people realize. For example the Carrington Event occurred in 1859 caused sparking on telegraph wires plus some operators getting shocked. I doubt remember reading as to whether anyone got significantly hurt.


34 posted on 08/12/2019 3:38:38 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Reily

I agree, but that event was with the magnetosphere still intact? I’m thinking if it was stripped away when it hit it would have been a whole different ballgame?

Since we are talking about CME events, I don’t know if you are hip to this guy’s site or not, but it’s very good and I think you would like it. I check it everyday out of curiosity. Fantastic assembly of real time solar data monitoring! :)

http://www.solarham.net/


35 posted on 08/12/2019 3:56:59 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind

It’s a good site. I need to start paying closer attention to it. I now have a small radio telescope set up that detects & records (My computer records them!) solar radio bursts. Thanks!


36 posted on 08/12/2019 4:01:47 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Reily

FANTASTIC! I have been after building one myself but other priorities keep messing me up. Was that you I talked to about building a radio telescope on here many months ago?


37 posted on 08/12/2019 4:07:05 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Ingtar
"Yes. That is why I said if Einstein is correct. :)"

The speed of light was known before Einstein.

38 posted on 08/12/2019 4:07:24 PM PDT by mlo
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To: Openurmind

Maybe I’ve talked about it before.


39 posted on 08/12/2019 4:17:52 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Reily

I think it was. Good to see you have one put together. Do you mind me asking what you used for an antenna? I have an 8ft dish ready for mine but have to adapt the mount so that I can both rotate and set the elevation as needed for different targets.


40 posted on 08/12/2019 4:33:50 PM PDT by Openurmind
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