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Black Hole Birth Detected this Morning

Posted by timothy on from the look-out-for-space-placenta dept.

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."

1 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. LA-LA-LA-LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU by revscat · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Great. More evidence for the fundamentalist Republicans to loudly ignore. "The universe isn't that old. God just put black holes in place to test our faith. Black holes are really a tool of Satan." They're in charge, though. Maybe they can change the definition of "black hole" to something more forgiving to creationism.

    Have you READ any of the "Left Behind" series? I only *wish* there weren't people out there like that. Holy moly.