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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."

3 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. Er... by Avyakata · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wasn't there another slashdot article a few weeks ago about how blackholes don't exist? I think it was talking about this report.

  2. Fate of Black Holes. by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Informative

    Found it. Donald Coyne of UCSC gave a talk on the Ultimate Fate of Small Black Holes. Be sure to check the Milagro link on his facutly page.

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  3. Re:Wait a minute... by Black.Shuck · · Score: 5, Informative

    Red Dwarf, Season 3, Episode 2 "Marooned."