Almost 6:15 a.m. PDT right now ... has any news broken on this?Astronomers set to make 'groundbreaking' black hole announcement
We may be about to see the first-ever photo of a black hole.
Astronomers working across a worldwide network of cosmic observatories are set to make a "groundbreaking" announcement on April 10, according to the European Southern Observatory.
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The official announcement will begin at 6 a.m. PT on April 10. Whatever the result may be, CNET will have it covered.
One of the unsung amazing things about black hole research is just how much has been learned about black holes without visual observation. The visuals help confirm the indirect analysis and mathematics.
Spot. On.“But Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit arose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home. There he took up again his great Ring in Barad-dur, and dwelt there, dark and silent, until he wrought himself a new guise, an image of malice and hatred made visible; and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
1) I'm not sure - but I believe so.A couple n00b questions about black holes.
1) Are we pretty sure there are black holes at the center of EVERY galaxy? Thought I'd read that..?
2) If black holes are constantly sucking in matter, does that mean they're constantly growing in size?
To piggy back on this1) I'm not sure - but I believe so.
2) Depends on how much matter - even if constantly sucking. Hawking Radiation is always being emitted - thus, if too little matter, shrinkage will occur.
1- Yes, that's what they thinkA couple n00b questions about black holes.
1) Are we pretty sure there are black holes at the center of EVERY galaxy? Thought I'd read that..?
2) If black holes are constantly sucking in matter, does that mean they're constantly growing in size?
One thing I don't understand that they I've never really seem explained is how that radiation that is ejected out escapes. A black hole is so strong, it even pulls in light. Yet a jet of radiation is spewing out of it. How?To piggy back on this
1 - I agree. I think all galaxies have a black hole at the center, as far as we understand it, but some galaxies have more than one.
2 - They do grow in size as they suck in matter, but between Hawking Radiation and other emissions (they can expel gas that will extend light years in length), they can also shrink.
One amazing thing about this picture is that this black hole is in a galaxy that's 54 million light years from Earth.
https://youtu.be/zUyH3XhpLTo
From what I understand, it's not really ejected from within the event horizon.One thing I don't understand that they I've never really seem explained is how that radiation that is ejected out escapes. A black hole is so strong, it even pulls in light. Yet a jet of radiation is spewing out of it. How?
it is believed that virtually all massive spiral/elliptical galaxies have a SMBH at the center. But I think there are some smaller, irregular ones where they're not sure.A couple n00b questions about black holes.
1) Are we pretty sure there are black holes at the center of EVERY galaxy? Thought I'd read that..?
2) If black holes are constantly sucking in matter, does that mean they're constantly growing in size?
Me, I saw a Halloween glazed donut“But Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit arose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home. There he took up again his great Ring in Barad-dur, and dwelt there, dark and silent, until he wrought himself a new guise, an image of malice and hatred made visible; and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
Black hole sun, won't you come..... and wash away the rain.
Followup after a Google :From what I understand, it's not really ejected from within the event horizon.
Rather, it is produced when virtual particles are produced - an ever occurring event - so close to the event horizon, that one of the particles gets pulled in, while the other escapes.
Once separated, the virtual particles can no longer recombine & thus, pop back out of existence. The new reality of the escaped particle = Hawking Radiation.
Now, seeing that clearly & logically in my mind, is not easy, because on our scale, it still seems that the hole should still have gained mass.
Measurements, seem to indicate otherwise. I wish I could understand it better, but I don't.
Gllll
Oh - and, I'd love to have a real physicist explain it to me & point out where I may be wrong.
Cosmically speaking though, that's like our backyard, right?One amazing thing about this picture is that this black hole is in a galaxy that's 54 million light years from Earth.
and where is all that 'stuff' going? is it endless? just being compressed further and further into the black hole?One thing I don't understand that they I've never really seem explained is how that radiation that is ejected out escapes. A black hole is so strong, it even pulls in light. Yet a jet of radiation is spewing out of it. How?
One of the common-sense paradoxes about matter is that matter is almost entirely empty space -- even things we perceive as dense, heavy, and rock-solid. The capacity for matter to be compressed is all but infinite in the environment of a black hole.and where is all that 'stuff' going? is it endless? just being compressed further and further into the black hole?
Thanks.One of the common-sense paradoxes about matter is that matter is almost entirely empty space -- even things we perceive as dense, heavy, and rock-solid. The capacity for matter to be compressed is all but infinite in the environment of a black hole.
You got it.Thanks.
So the center of a black hole has matter approaching 100% density?...which would chicken/egg also make a huge gravitational field...
jamny said:
The sheer volume of data generated was also unprecedented – in one night the EHT generated enough data to fill half a tonne of hard drives.
They were rattling off some crazy stats at the press conference.
I missed all the fun of this mornings announcement.
Usually described as infinite density rather than "100%". Matter is essentially crushed to zero volume. The concept is referred to as a gravitational singularity, and this is what is predicted by General Relativity.El Floppo said:Thanks.
So the center of a black hole has matter approaching 100% density?...which would chicken/egg also make a huge gravitational field...
That's a big Twinkie.Stumbled across this just now for comparison... https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/m87_black_hole_size_comparison.png
Disclaimer...I have not verified for accuracy. I will need to crunch a few numbers when I get a chance.
Based on the reported mass of 6.5 billion solar masses, I calculate the Schwarzschild radius to be around 19 billion km (127 AU). Pluto's orbit is in the neighborhood of 6 billion km (40 AU), so the radius of M87's event horizon is roughly 3x the radius of pluto's orbit. Voyager 1 is about 21-22 billion km (~145 AU) away Thus the image appears to be a reasonable approximation.Stumbled across this just now for comparison... https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/m87_black_hole_size_comparison.png
Disclaimer...I have not verified for accuracy. I will need to crunch a few numbers when I get a chance.
About to start for those interested... 8 PM ESTThey were rattling off some crazy stats at the press conference.
I mentioned earlier, How the Universe Works is doing a special episode on it tonight.
Excellent Galileo. Thnx. I figured that you would have some interesting things to say about this. I was not wrong.Based on the reported mass of 6.5 billion solar masses, I calculate the Schwarzschild radius to be around 19 billion km (127 AU). Pluto's orbit is in the neighborhood of 6 billion km (40 AU), so the radius of M87's event horizon is roughly 3x the radius of pluto's orbit. Voyager 1 is about 21-22 billion km (~145 AU) away Thus the image appears to be a reasonable approximation.
How long has it been since you've seen it?Excellent Galileo. Thnx. I figured that you would have some interesting things to say about this. I was not wrong.
Now, regarding the bolded - impressive!
When you have some free time, I was hoping you could calculate the radius of my Schwantz - it's something I've been curious about for quite a while.
Meh...seems like the 10 PM show (NOT How the Universe Works) is going to be focused on getting the image. False advertising on the 8-10 time slot.Very frustrated and disappointed thus far in How the Universe Works. It was listed in my guide as a 2 hour show with a description related to the first image of a black hole. I sat through the first hour, and it was interesting stuff, but mostly stuff I already knew and was familiar with. There were a couple gems like the idea of a Planck Star that I had not heard before, which makes sense at some level...an interesting idea. The second hour is now 15 minutes in. It really isn't a continuation. It is basically it's own show. It has all been rehash of stuff that was covered in the first hour and still nothing yet on the new image or new information gleaned from the image.
They do that a lot. Combine a couple of shows and call it a new episode. Even gets the DVR to record it. They dont realize how it turns people off.Meh...seems like the 10 PM show (NOT How the Universe Works) is going to be focused on getting the image. False advertising on the 8-10 time slot.
OH - I see it daily - unfortunately, no one else sees it anymore...How long has it been since you've seen it?