Astronomers spot gas cloud approaching black hole
Posted: Thu, Dec 15, 2011, 7:54 AM ET (1254 GMT)
Astronomers announced this week the discovery of a cloud of gas that will fall into our galaxy's supermassive black hole within the next two years. European astronomers found the gas cloud, about three times the mass of the Earth, rapidly approaching the black hole at the core of our galaxy. The cloud will come within about 40 billion kilometers of the black hole's event horizon by mid-2013, with the black hole's gravity already starting to stretch out and disrupt the cloud. Astronomers said the gas will be the black hole's major "meal" for the next few years because of a lack of other material in the immediate vicinity of the black hole.
Astronomers announced this week the discovery of a cloud of gas that will fall into our galaxy's supermassive black hole within the next two years. European astronomers found the gas cloud, about three times the mass of the Earth, rapidly approaching the black hole at the core of our galaxy. The cloud will come within about 40 billion kilometers of the black hole's event horizon by mid-2013, with the black hole's gravity already starting to stretch out and disrupt the cloud. Astronomers said the gas will be the black hole's major "meal" for the next few years because of a lack of other material in the immediate vicinity of the black hole.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, February 4
Matryoshka Satellites, Robotic Arms: Former US Space Force Commander Warns Of Russian, Chinese Threats
Radio Free Europe — 6:44 am ET (1144 GMT) Trump’s Golden Dome, a year in, is struggling to take shape
POLITICO — 6:43 am ET (1143 GMT) The Numbers, and Questions, Behind Musk’s Mega-Merger
New York Times — 6:43 am ET (1143 GMT) Elon Musk’s mega-merger makes little business sense
The Economist — 6:41 am ET (1141 GMT) Elon Musk is merging SpaceX and xAI to build data centers in space — or so he says
The Verge — 6:40 am ET (1140 GMT) |
