NASA Announces Discovery of 30-Year-Old Black Hole 195
broknstrngz tips news of an announcement today from NASA about the discovery of a black hole in the M100 galaxy, roughly 50 million light-years from Earth. The discovery is notable because, if confirmed, it's now the youngest known black hole, born from the remains of a supernova we observed in 1979. Bad Astronomer Phil Plait explains why scientists think it collapsed to a black hole, rather than a neutron star: "The way a neutron star emits X-rays is different than that of a black hole. As a neutron star cools, the X-ray emission will fade. However, a black hole blasts out X-rays as material falls in; that stuff forms a flat disk, called an accretion disk, around the black hole. As this matter falls onto the newly created black hole, it gets heated to unimaginable temperatures — millions of degrees — and blasts out X-rays. In that case, the X-rays emitted would be steady over time. What astronomers have found is that the X-rays from SN1979c have been steady in brightness over observations from 1995 – 2007. This is very strong evidence that the star’s core did indeed collapse into a black hole." He also warns that we're not certain quite yet, and we'll have to keep our eye on it to make sure it's not a pulsar.
This sounds... (Score:0, Funny)
This sounds like the setup to an epic "Yo Mamma" joke. I almost don't want to read the article just because I know it won't be...
Re:It was 30 years old, 50 million years ago. (Score:5, Funny)
We use the European version of "discover", it's new when it's new to us :)
Re:Because everyone else will say it too... (Score:1, Funny)
The Earth is a black hole, you insensitive clod!
Re:Because everyone else will say it too... (Score:1, Funny)
Black hole? what about a white hole you racist GNAA honkey!
Re:Relativity of Simultaneity (Score:3, Funny)
Naw.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Here's the better news (Score:2, Funny)
Would that be a BHILF?
Re:Relativity of Simultaneity (Score:3, Funny)
Of course, traversing a wormhole is impossible, but since we're splitting hairs...
Citation please.
Re:Relativity of Simultaneity (Score:1, Funny)
You forgot the 9 months it takes to develop in the womb.
We start counting age from birth, not creation.
Having not read the article (of course), I'm assuming that the 9 months would place birth into 1980 to make the black hole 30 years old.
If not, then this message is just nonsensical BS.~
Side note: does anyone else find it creepy and voyeuristic that scientists are being paid to watch supernovæ 'mum & pop personal time?'
Perverts, the lot of them!
Re:Because everyone else will say it too... (Score:4, Funny)