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NASA Announces Discovery of 30-Year-Old Black Hole
broknstrngz tips news of an announcement today from NASA about the discovery of a black hole in the M100 galaxy, roughly 50 million light-years from Earth. The discovery is notable because, if confirmed, it's now the youngest known black hole, born from the remains of a supernova we observed in 1979. Bad Astronomer Phil Plait explains why scientists think it collapsed to a black hole, rather than a neutron star: "The way a neutron star emits X-rays is different than that of a black hole. As a neutron star cools, the X-ray emission will fade. However, a black hole blasts out X-rays as material falls in; that stuff forms a flat disk, called an accretion disk, around the black hole. As this matter falls onto the newly created black hole, it gets heated to unimaginable temperatures — millions of degrees — and blasts out X-rays. In that case, the X-rays emitted would be steady over time. What astronomers have found is that the X-rays from SN1979c have been steady in brightness over observations from 1995 – 2007. This is very strong evidence that the star’s core did indeed collapse into a black hole." He also warns that we're not certain quite yet, and we'll have to keep our eye on it to make sure it's not a pulsar.
This sounds like the setup to an epic "Yo Mamma" joke. I almost don't want to read the article just because I know it won't be...
We use the European version of "discover", it's new when it's new to us :)
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
The Earth is a black hole, you insensitive clod!
Black hole? what about a white hole you racist GNAA honkey!
Obviously it's not 30 years old if we observed its creation in 1979, that would make it 31.
I know of a younger one. It actually just happened. Sorry though, the light from the supernova won't be here for 50,000,000 years. Go ahead, prove me wrong! ;p
I do not respond to cowards. Especially anonymous ones.
Would that be a BHILF?
Of course, traversing a wormhole is impossible, but since we're splitting hairs...
Citation please.
You forgot the 9 months it takes to develop in the womb.
We start counting age from birth, not creation.
Having not read the article (of course), I'm assuming that the 9 months would place birth into 1980 to make the black hole 30 years old.
If not, then this message is just nonsensical BS.~
Side note: does anyone else find it creepy and voyeuristic that scientists are being paid to watch supernovæ 'mum & pop personal time?'
Perverts, the lot of them!
He could argue, and argue and argue, that there really is a *privileged* frame of reference with regards of age; but, I'm not letting my daughter ("the object to be dated") out of sight of my shotgun.
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.