Star ripped apart by unknown black hole
August 4, 2012
An artist’s portrayal of a black hole (credit: Ute Kraus/Wikimedia Commons)
Astronomers think they have seen a star being ripped to pieces by a previously unknown black hole (see ‘The awakening of a cosmic monster‘), says Nature News.
The astronomers saw a pulse of X-rays that rose and fell in intensity every 200 seconds. The team thinks that the oscillation is coming from the last bits of the star, which are making their final orbits before being sucked into the hole. They reported their results in Science.
This result may open the possibility of probing general relativity beyond our local Universe. Work based on Einstein’s general theory of relativity stipulates that there is a minimum distance at which material can stably orbit a black hole before it is swallowed.
The team’s calculations suggest that the star’s remains were probably just one million kilometers from the event horizon — the surface beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape a black hole’s clutches.
Comments (10)
by egore
Hey Maw, If we had one of them thar black holes, we wouldn’t have to worry about hot and cold running water!?
by Pardon
“English is one of the most complicated languages.”
English couldn’t be simpler. It’s probably the easiest language there is and can be. Any other language has 10-100x more complexity. However, English DOES have perhaps the largest vocabulary in existence, but few use it effectively. English is like a good programming language should be: extensive libraries for every imaginable purpose, easy-on-the-brain syntax.
In my experience usually dealing with people whose second language is English, the inability to speak or write English even close to properly is in my estimation evidence of simple lack of use or, more usually, some mental disorder or significantly below average intelligence. Smart people all over the world speak English very well often with a richer vocabulary than those born into it, though, lacking exposure to daily face-to-face interaction, they do poorly at idioms, slang and colloquialisms, all sounding rather well-educated – which they usually are!
I believe these observations are found to be essentially correct by most who have experienced International English in all its forms.
Vast vocabulary, yes, complicated, no.
by Xreals
As a programmer I agree
by Later
I can help to with exact information’s but they will be shock for all humans because it will be different what have been researched or from perceptions, and they don’t like out of standard way of what is written or learned, and especially if it can’t be measured by Earth terms ;( (sad), why I am telling this? – because world is not ready to face the truth (we’re not talking about fictive, emotions, or imaginary). Long-long time individual fight for the truth will give some info on the surface, but that will have to see the human ‘kind’, maybe another few thousands of years of skeptics and critics on the behalf of those who know. Good luck! We do not tell because we know the results, they are the most easiest predictions from any others happenings. Why I said ‘we’, because the rest refused to talk to the world, so same will I. By the way, don’t worry, because is it possible to the monkey with 58+ chromosomes to explain and to tech him how is made laser microscope? On the all behalf I respect that monkey.
by Sno
Why don’t you give us more details instead of remaining vague ? After you do that, at least we can think about it and see if it makes any sort of sense. You’re referring to humans as if they were monkeys to you, are you not human ?
by monkey
Judging by his way with words and syntax I’d say he sounds pretty non-human to me.
by GatorALLin
….or could be that English is not his first language….
by Editor
Based on Later’s IP address, he or she is located in a country in which English is spoken by a very small minority. Those of us that have had to learn and to speak foreign languages in foreign countries (like England — OK, that’s a joke) know how difficult it can be, and English is one of the most complicated languages.
Later: you are very welcome here and if you ever need help with your English, please call on me anytime at editors@kurzweilai.net. Hugs — Amara
by b
I couldn’t care less about his English abilities. What strikes me is how arrogant he is about how he has all the answers and belongs to some club of people who know all the answers, but they refuse to tell us simple minded people about it. Why say anything at all if all you are going to do is tell us you have a secret?
He would sound full of sh*t even if he spoke perfect English.
by Mortran
Highly speculative. They only measured a gamma ray impulse, nothing more. This could be anything. I don’t buy into this whole black hole thing.
To say it is a proof for the existence of the death star who just blew up a planet would be just as plausible.