Black Hole Birth Detected this Morning 337
An anonymous reader writes "SPACE.com is reporting on the first optical afterglow ever detected from a short-duration (milliseconds) Gamma-Ray Burst. The GRB signals the birth of a black hole resulting from a merger between two neutron stars. Theory had predicted the whole thing, which was all spotted this morning by NASA's Swift satellite and ground-based observatories, thanks to an automated email system that notifies astronomers worldwide."
Upon Further Review... (Score:5, Funny)
email notification (Score:3, Funny)
It's unclear whether the newborn is a boy or a girl, but what is known is that it has no hair [wolfram.com].
Mother and baby are doing fine (Score:5, Funny)
"You've Got a Black Hole!" (Score:5, Funny)
automated email system that notifies astronomers (Score:5, Funny)
No credit card required click for details.
presents (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Upon Further Review... (Score:4, Funny)
The mother (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Upon Further Review... (Score:3, Funny)
The details... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Terrible Secrect of Space? (Score:4, Funny)
That's what I thought when I heard about Paula Abdul on Idol... this is how burned out old stars on earth behave, they attemt to merge with younger, brighter stars. A little titillation and BAM(!) their radiating again and the envy of all their neighboring dying stars.
Outstanding! (Score:2, Funny)
What about Dr. Reinhardt? (Score:3, Funny)
Weak! (Score:5, Funny)
Wait a minute... (Score:5, Funny)
Happy Birthday! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wait a minute... (Score:5, Funny)
Holly: Well, the thing about a Black Hole, its main distinguishing feature, is it's black. And the thing about space, your basic space colour is black. So how are you supposed to see them?
Rimmer: But five of them! How can you be ambushed by five Black Holes?
Holly: Always the way, isn't it? You hang around in deep space for three million years and you don't see one. Then, all of a sudden, five all turn up at once.
Re:Upon Further Review... (Score:5, Funny)
The whole hole? (Score:3, Funny)
Didn't you mean "theory had predicted the hole thing" ?
Re:Happy Birthday! (Score:5, Funny)
Especially if he also happens to be a large gay afro-american...
Those impetuous scientists! (Score:5, Funny)
I mean, really! How droll, how clever...
And from now on... (Score:2, Funny)
God divided by zero (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Weak! (Score:5, Funny)
YOu better let the Kansas school board know about this. The universe is only about 3000 years old don't you know.
sorry about that (Score:3, Funny)
Re:presents (Score:3, Funny)
Re:LA-LA-LA-LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU (Score:5, Funny)
God put them on earth to test you.
Via evolution, of course.
And remember what they say... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Upon Further Review... (Score:5, Funny)
Chuck Jones syndrome (Score:3, Funny)
"...thanks to an automated email system that notifies astronomers worldwide..."
As this:
"...thanks to an automated anvil system that notifies astronomers worldwide."
I had this bizarre image of all different types and sizes of anvils, all with messages about the GRB attached, dropping onto (and through) desks and computers of astronomers all over the place while, in the background, Marvin the Martian is cackling about it in that lovably maniacal way that only Mel Blanc could give him.
Essence, I wish Chuck Jones was still around to exploit this one...
Re:What about Dr. Reinhardt? (Score:5, Funny)
This is slashdot. It's not like anyone else will date us.
Obligatory statement (Score:2, Funny)
Er...wait...nevermind.
Obligatory Red Dwarf quote (Score:3, Funny)
Rimmer: But you saw them - you saw them on the monitor.
Holly: They weren't Black Holes.
Rimmer: What were they?
Holly: Grit. Five specks of grit on the scanner-scope. See, the thing about grit is, it's black, and the thing about scanner-scopes...
Rimmer: Oh, shut up.
Re:Those impetuous scientists! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The details... (Score:1, Funny)
Go sterilize yourself with a cheese grater. It's for the good of the gene pool.
Re:farsighted (Score:3, Funny)
I realize you're being droll, but it's obviously a signal to noise ratio issue. The gamma ray burst was a friggin huge signal against a (comparitively) quiet background. If Osama or your car keys were the loudest thing on the planet by an order of magnitude we'd have no trouble finding him/it. Alternatly if the US army started removing noise by killing every living creature they came across eventualy they'd be able to single out Osama's signal.
Re:Upon Further Review... (Score:2, Funny)
"it actually took place 2.2 billion years ago"
Re:Mother and baby are doing fine (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The mother (Score:2, Funny)
Funny though how in space this attractiveness doesn't depend on looks...