Scientists have discovered gravitational waves stemming from a black hole merger event that suggest the resultant black hole settled into a stable, spherical shape. These waves also reveal the combo black hole may be much larger than previously thought. When initially detected on May 21, 2019, the gravitational wave event known as GW190521 was believed to have come from a merger between two black holes, one with a mass equivalent to just over 85 suns and the other with a mass equivalent to about 66 suns. Scientists believed the merger…
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1st black hole ever imaged by humans has twisted magnetic fields and scientists are thrilled
Spiraling light at the edge of a distant supermassive black hole could help matter escape from being consumed by this cosmic titan. The supermassive black hole of M87 — also known as M87* — has a mass equal to around 6.5 billion suns. It especially came to the public’s attention in 2019 when an image of M87*, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), was the first glimpse of the surrounding environment of a black hole ever obtained by humanity. Now, the EHT Collaboration, who was behind that historic image, have modeled…
Read MoreSwirling gas helps scientists nail down Milky Way’s supermassive black hole mass
At the center of our galaxy sits a dark enigma, a supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A*. Astronomers have known about the existence of Sgr. A* for some time, and even snagged a spectacular image of it in 2022, but getting exact measurements of its size and activity have proven elusive. But now, in new findings from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), a group of astronomers have determined, with high accuracy, the mass and radius of Sgr A*. Specifically, Sgr A* was found to come in at…
Read MoreGiant Black Holes Make Tiny, Ghost-like Particles
Blazars, the gas-guzzling black holes at the center of galaxies, could make most of the tiny particles known as neutrinos we catch on Earth. The post Giant Black Holes Make Tiny, Ghost-like Particles appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreA Black Hole Lurks in a Galaxy Near Our Own
Astronomers have found a dormant black hole orbiting a massive blue star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The post A Black Hole Lurks in a Galaxy Near Our Own appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreWhere Did the First Quasars Come From?
New research shows how black holes with tens of thousands of Suns’ worth of mass can form in the universe’s early years. The post Where Did the First Quasars Come From? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreMonstrous Black Holes Spin More Slowly — But Why?
X-ray observations add to growing evidence that the most massive black holes have a different past than their lightweight peers. The post Monstrous Black Holes Spin More Slowly — But Why? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreHave We Found the First Rogue Black Hole in the Milky Way?
Hubble observations have revealed a stellar-mass compact object — a black hole or possibly a neutron star — wandering our galaxy. The post Have We Found the First Rogue Black Hole in the Milky Way? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThe Life and Times of Immortal Stars
Under the right conditions, stars could become immortal. How is this possible, and what does it mean for these stars’ surroundings? The post The Life and Times of Immortal Stars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreAstronomers Unveil Image of the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole
Using a worldwide array of telescopes, the Event Horizon Telescope team has given us our first look at Sagittarius A*. The post Astronomers Unveil Image of the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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