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Scientists Discover Teeny Tiny Black Hole

Posted by Zonk on from the for-relative-terms-of-teeny-and-tiny dept.

AbsoluteXyro writes "According to a Space.com article, NASA scientists have discovered the smallest known black hole to date. The object is known as 'XTE J1650-500'. Weighing in at a scant 3.8 solar masses and measuring only 15 miles across, this finding sheds new light on the lower limit of black hole sizes and the critical threshold at which a star will become a black hole upon its death, rather than a neutron star. XTE J1650-500 beats out the previous record holder, GRO 1655-40, by about 2.5 solar masses."

8 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. That's nothing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They say LHC-001 will be even smaller!

    (But who will be there to measure...?)

    1. Re:That's nothing... by sayfawa · · Score: 5, Funny

      There may already be microscopic (more like picoscopic) black holes all around us. The thing with black holes is they are only dangerous if you get close to them. If they are small they can whiz right through us without hitting anything, much like many other particles that pass through us all the time. I'm not saying that creating one would be a good idea, but if, on the off-chance, one were created by the LHC it will probably be innocuous. I wish I could make those sound less like famous last words.

      --
      Free the Quark 3 from asymptotic confinement! Bring your charm! Don't get down! All colours and flavours welcome!
    2. Re:That's nothing... by inode_buddha · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nope. Umatched socks are simply the larval stage of coat hangers.

      --
      C|N>K
  2. Black-hole... sheds new light... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    HILARITY!

  3. Awwww, little baby one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It may look cute now. But they grow up.

  4. Goldilocks by Dopamine,+Redacted · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, we've now discovered the biggest and smallest black holes known to exist within about a week of each other.

    When we find the most average, space bears will come and blast us into porridge.

    Astronomy kicks ass.

  5. Oh shit... by neokushan · · Score: 5, Funny

    If that happens, what are we going to do!? Capitan Picard hasn't been born yet! Hell, even Kirk isn't around yet....

    --
    +1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
  6. What the article fails to pont out is ... by celtic_hackr · · Score: 5, Funny

    This newly discovered Black Hole is the final result of a Large Hadron Collider, that caused a microsopic black hole on the third planet formerly circling the former star now known as 'XTE J1650-500'. So, this is not a naturally occuring black hole, but an alien-created one. Sadly this alien species is now extinct so they can't tell us how to avoid their mistake.