Milky Way's monster black hole awoke 300 years ago
Posted by admin / Under Sagittarius (astrology)
PARIS (AFP) - A black hole slumbering at the centre of our galaxy went into a "feeding frenzy" three centuries ago, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Tuesday. Located around 26,000 light years from Earth, the black hole, known as Sagittarius A-star (Sgr A*), is a monster with a mass four million times that of the Sun. Japanese astronomers, using ESA's XMM-Newton orbital telescope and US and Japanese X-ray satellites, discovered that clouds of gas brightened and faded in X-ray light when they passed near Sgr A*'s maw, ESA said in a press release. The phenomenon is due to...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
The Milky Way’s Pinball Wizard
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In a cosmic game of pinball, black holes fling high-energy protons into space, where they zigzag around at near light-speeds before smashing into low-energy protons, finds a new study. Then the collisions send bursts of gamma rays flying out from the center of our galaxy, which explains for the first time the mechanism for the high-energy jets first spotted in 2004. This proton-slinging could explain more than this cataclysmic light show deep in our galaxy. The scientists suggest other black holes in the universe could rely on the pinball mechanism to produce enormous jets of light. “Our galaxy's central supermassive...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 9-30-03
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Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 September 30 The Sagittarius Dwarf Tidal Stream Drawing Credit & Copyright: David Martinez-Delgado (MPIA) & Gabriel Perez (IAC) Explanation: Is our Milky Way Galaxy out to lunch? Recent wide field images and analyses now indicate that our home galaxy is actually still in the process of devouring its closest satellite neighbor. This unfortunate neighbor, the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy, is now seen to be part of a larger...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Milky Way Galaxy Cannibalizes Sagittarius
Posted by admin / Under Sagittarius (astrology)
Our Milky Way galaxy is gobbling up its galactic neighbor, Sagittarius, and on Wednesday, scientists offered documentary proof of this continuing cosmic cannibalism. Astronomers have mapped the Sagittarius galaxy to show in detail how its debris wrap around and pass through the Milky Way, which contains Earth. On its way to oblivion, the dwarf Sagittarius -- which is about 10,000 times the mass of the Milky Way -- is getting stretched, torn apart and ultimately eaten, scientists at the University of Virginia and the University of Massachusetts reported. "It's clear who's the bully in the interaction," Steven Majewski of the...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 3-04-03
Posted by admin / Under Sagittarius (astrology)
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 March 4 In the Center of the Lagoon Nebula Credit: A. Caulet (ST-ECF, ESA), NASA Explanation: The center of the Lagoon Nebula is busy with the awesome spectacle of star formation. Visible in the lower left, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds, each roughly half a light-year long, have been formed by extreme stellar winds and intense energetic starlight. The tremendously bright nearby star, Hershel 36, lights...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 12-23-02
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Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 December 23 Stars and Dust Through Baade's Window Credit & Copyright: David Malin (AAO), ROE, UKS Telescope Explanation: Billions of stars light up the direction toward the center of our Galaxy. The vast majority of these stars are themselves billions of years old, rivaling their home Milky Way Galaxy in raw age. These stars are much more faint and red than the occasional young blue stars that...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 12-10-02
Posted by admin / Under Sagittarius (astrology)
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 December 10 M17: Omega Nebula Star Factory Credit & Copyright: Jean-Charles Cuillandre (CFHT), Hawaiian Starlight, CFHT Explanation: In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as M17, stars continue to form. The similarity to the Greek letter capital Omega gives the molecular cloud its popular name, but the nebula is also known as the Swan Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, and M17. The...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 10-18-02
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Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 October 18 At the Center of the Milky Way Credit: Rainer Schödel (MPE) et al., NACO, ESO Explanation: At the center of our Milky Way Galaxy lies a black hole with over 2 million times the mass of the Sun. Once a controversial claim, this astounding conclusion is now virtually inescapable and based on observations of stars orbiting very near the galactic center. Using one of the...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day 10-06-02
Posted by admin / Under Sagittarius (astrology)
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 October 6 The Lagoon Nebula in Three Colors Credit: R. Barba, N. Morrell et al. (UNLP), CTIO, NOAO, NSF Explanation: The bright Lagoon Nebula is home to a diverse array of astronomical objects. Particularly interesting sources include a bright open cluster of stars and several energetic star-forming regions. When viewed by eye, cluster light is dominated by an overall red glow that is caused by luminous hydrogen...
Published on Sunday 25th of July 2010 03:44:30 AM
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