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Monster Black Hole Busts Theory

Posted by samzenpus on from the old-bob-and-vincent dept.

Genocaust writes "A stellar black hole much more massive than theory predicts is possible has astronomers puzzled. Stellar black holes form when stars with masses around 20 times that of the sun collapse under the weight of their own gravity at the ends of their lives. Most stellar black holes weigh in at around 10 solar masses when the smoke blows away, and computer models of star evolution have difficulty producing black holes more massive than this. The newly weighed black hole is 16 solar masses. It orbits a companion star in the spiral galaxy Messier 33, located 2.7 million light-years from Earth. Together they make up the system known as M33 X-7."

4 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Residents of companion star get bad rap.... by robinsonne · · Score: 5, Funny

    It orbits a companion star in the spiral galaxy Messier 33

    It's not messy, it's got a lived-in, homey feel to it you insensitive clod!!!

  2. Re:In the Dark by value_added · · Score: 5, Funny
    It amazes me at how much we DON'T know.

    The following may help to explain things (taken from an Slashdot post):

    Indeed. In fact there is no light either. The Sun sucks dark. In fact it
    sucks dark so hard that the friction of the dark moving to the Sun
    causes the Sun to be very hot. The flow of dark towards the Sun
    interrupted by the Earth causes the side of the Earth away from the Sun
    to accumulate dark, thus causing Night. As the Earth rotates the dark
    caught on the night side can then be pulled off, this causing the
    absence of dark known as Day.

    What we call light bulbs are truly dark suckers as well. That is why
    light bulbs are hot, just like the Sun. When a light bulb is full of
    dark and won't suck dark any more, it cools off. If you look in old
    light bulbs you can even seen the accumulation of dark.

    Dark is also heavier than water. This can be seen in the oceans where
    the deeper you go the darker it gets.
  3. The internet has ruined my mind. by game+kid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Never mind things like Goatse. Thanks to the internet, the only word in the title that doesn't yet have dirty connotations to me is "theory".

    Heck, some are working to change that too.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  4. Re:Supermassive black holes by chthon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wouldn't it be : In Soviet Russia, you eat black holes ?