Monster black Hole
Posted: 15 Jan 2018 23:30
Monster black hole emits ferocious 'double burp' after feasting on stars, gas and planets sucked from a nearby
galaxy.
Now, after its huge meal, the galactic gobbler will slip into a deep sleep before awakening again one day and once again swallowing up anything unlucky enough to be near it.
The gluttonous cosmic monster sits at the centre of a galaxy called SDSS J1354 + 1327 and is believed to be munching
stars from a galaxy neighbouring its own.
"Black holes are voracious eaters, but it also turns out they don't have very good table manners," Julie Comeford, an
astronomer at the University of Colorado, said at a news conference. It is quite common to see a black hole doing
one burp, but extremely unusual to see it let rip twice in a row".
Black holes follow a predictable cycle of feasting, burping and then napping.
Observing these burps could show how when a hungry hole will awaken and begin wolfing down anything unlucky to
be within sucking distance of its gravitational pull.
The supermassive black hole at the centre of our own universe will one day arouse from it's slumber with a raging appetite.
So how big will its breakfast be and will it chow down to Planet Earth?
Right now, our galaxy's supermassive black hole is firmly in the nap phase of the feast-burp-nap cycle, but it's just
waiting for it's next meal to come along.
If our Milky Way's black hole became active again, we are far enough away from it that we would be fine. If our
solar system was very close to the black hole, though, we'd be fried.
Article from Metro news, by Jasper Hamill 12-1-2018
galaxy.
Now, after its huge meal, the galactic gobbler will slip into a deep sleep before awakening again one day and once again swallowing up anything unlucky enough to be near it.
The gluttonous cosmic monster sits at the centre of a galaxy called SDSS J1354 + 1327 and is believed to be munching
stars from a galaxy neighbouring its own.
"Black holes are voracious eaters, but it also turns out they don't have very good table manners," Julie Comeford, an
astronomer at the University of Colorado, said at a news conference. It is quite common to see a black hole doing
one burp, but extremely unusual to see it let rip twice in a row".
Black holes follow a predictable cycle of feasting, burping and then napping.
Observing these burps could show how when a hungry hole will awaken and begin wolfing down anything unlucky to
be within sucking distance of its gravitational pull.
The supermassive black hole at the centre of our own universe will one day arouse from it's slumber with a raging appetite.
So how big will its breakfast be and will it chow down to Planet Earth?
Right now, our galaxy's supermassive black hole is firmly in the nap phase of the feast-burp-nap cycle, but it's just
waiting for it's next meal to come along.
If our Milky Way's black hole became active again, we are far enough away from it that we would be fine. If our
solar system was very close to the black hole, though, we'd be fried.
Article from Metro news, by Jasper Hamill 12-1-2018