Astronomers Spot Black Hole Spinning Near the Speed of Light

JonB

Don't Take Crap from Life
Sep 16, 2012
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Astronomers Spot Black Hole Spinning Near the Speed of Light



NASA's NuStar and ESA's XMM-Newton have studied the spin rate of a supermassive black hole.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have teamed up to, for the first time, measure the spin rate of a black hole with a mass 2 million times that of our own sun. In their findings the scientists analyzed data from several satellites to put Einstein's theory of general relativity to a real test - which says gravity can bend space-time and light. The black hole is about 2 million miles across, and according to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics report [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013/pr201307.html] has a surface spinning at nearly the speed of light. "We can trace matter as it swirls into a black hole using X-rays emitted from regions very close to the black hole," explans NuSTAR principal investigator Fiona Harrison. "The radiation we see is warped and distorted by the motions of particles and the black hole's incredibly strong gravity. Learning about the spin rates of supermassive black holes is intended to help scientists understand the origins of the universe.

"These monsters, with masses from millions to billions of times that of the sun, are formed as small seeds in the early universe and grow by swallowing stars and gas in their host galaxies, merging with other giant black holes when galaxies collide, or both," said study lead author Guido Risaliti. Supermassive black holes are surrounded by accretion disks of matter being pulled inward, which emit X-rays due to the high rate of friction. In theory, the faster the hole spins, the closer the accretion disk should be to the hole. The closer the disk, the more gravity will warp X-ray light from the disk. ESA's XMM-Newton proved that light was being warped, and NASA's NuSTAR higher energy X-ray showed that gravity must be causing the warping.

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"The black hole's spin is a memory, a record, of the past history of the galaxy as a whole," said Risaliti.

Source & Image: NASA JPL [http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-075#4]


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knight steel

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Jul 6, 2009
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HOLLY SHIT now that what I call impressive-I wonder what's on the other side?
Only one way to find out!
Who here wants to go on a one way ticket into that bad boy ^_^.
 

T3hSource

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Mar 5, 2012
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rollerfox88 said:
There has been a lot of black hole related breakthroughs lately, and it just makes me think that scientists recently discovered there is no possible way of observing black holes, and have just been making stuff up since then.
Shows why you won't be a scientist anytime soon. Who said you have to observe black holes directly to know something about them?You learn from school how scientists actually "observe" black holes, at least from the schools here.
 

T3hSource

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Mar 5, 2012
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rollerfox88 said:
Well, things can be interpreted and understood wrongly. Sorry for that.
Considering your post count and join date on just on this site, I'd assume you'd have a thicker skin for the internet's "fixed that for you", but then again I can understand how arguing to starngers in your field of science can be frustrating.
 

SonOfMethuselah

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Oct 9, 2012
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Wait... did Rollerfox actually just leave? Whoa. Heavy, man.

OT: Black holes scare the ever loving hell out of me. Even just 'normal' ones. A black hole that size, spinning that fast? ERMAHGERD!
 

Sporky111

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Dec 17, 2008
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I'm still trying to wrap my mind around "the surface" of the black hole. It would be the event horizon, but that's not really a "surface" and I can't see how it could be spinning since it's really just a point at which light can't escape. So does that mean that the event horizon is the surface, or that past the event horizon is the singularity which is spinning at near-maximum speed.

And then I start to think of why a black hole would have to obey the speed of light limit. My brain . . .
 

Lhianon

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Aug 28, 2011
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Ldude893 said:
ShadowKatt said:
JonB said:
"The black hole's spin...a record"
I wonder what it would sound like if we put a needle on it.
I believe it'll sound like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg].
either this or like "supermassive black hole" by "muse" (i'm kinda lazy, but i'm sure someone will find the appropriate clip)

edit: found it
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBb-J0hcBQA]
 

Shadie777

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Feb 1, 2011
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This os why black holes are so bloody scary.

Makes me wonder the chances of how Earth can even survive in a universal mine field.
 

Not G. Ivingname

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Nov 18, 2009
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How did it get it spinning that fast?

You need more and more energy to move something the closer you get to light speed.

Where did the energy to spin a BLACK HOLE next to light speed come from? That thing has a mass beyond our ability to even comprehend how heavy the thing is.
 

GundamSentinel

The leading man, who else?
Aug 23, 2009
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Not G. Ivingname said:
How did it get it spinning that fast?

You need more and more energy to move something the closer you get to light speed.

Where did the energy to spin a BLACK HOLE next to light speed come from? That thing has a mass beyond our ability to even comprehend how heavy the thing is.
Maybe you've heard of gamma ray bursts (GRB's): flashes of energy detectable from billions of lightyears away, generated by the accretion disc 'feeding' a black hole. Basically the most powerful cosmic process known. The accretion disc around a black hole can generate terrifyingly massive amounts of energy. Might account for a black hole's spin.

And of course, with it being space and nothing around to slow it down, energy starts piling up. ^^

From what I know there are theories that a black hole might actually spin faster than the speed of light, as spacetime itself starts moving with the gravity of the black hole.

Black holes always are awesome and awe-inspiring.
 

Strazdas

Robots will replace your job
May 28, 2011
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So, whne can be isntall the black hole 0,9 beta version into our PCs, if it ican store the memory of a galaxy it may even give it a try with my porn collection.

Not G. Ivingname said:
How did it get it spinning that fast?

You need more and more energy to move something the closer you get to light speed.

Where did the energy to spin a BLACK HOLE next to light speed come from? That thing has a mass beyond our ability to even comprehend how heavy the thing is.
there is no driction in space, and black hole is its own gravity center, so it could be spinnig from inertial without any extra matter. however one must also know that light, xrays and pretty much all the gases the black hole has energy. the energy does not dissapear into some magical land, it gets trasnfered to the black hole. its possible it gets moved into spinning the hole before it leaves though the geyzers (sorry forgot the name of those things where black holes throw off energy).
 

RADIALTHRONE1

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Feb 6, 2011
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Anybody else think that if we applied a drill to this situation, we would rip the "fabric" of the space-time continuum?

A cookie if you get the (vague and possibly incorrect) reference.