Black Hole

Astronomers observe black hole that may have formed gently

The conventional wisdom among astronomers is that black holes - those exceptionally dense objects with gravity so powerful that not even light can escape - form in the violent explosion, called a supernova, of a massive dying star. But some, it turns out, may be born in a gentler fashion. Researchers have identified a black hole that appears to have come into being through the collapse of the core of a large star in its death throes, but without the usual blast. It was observed gravitationally ...

June 18, 2024 11:25 PM

Scientists witness a dormant supermassive black hole roar to life

At the center of the Milky Way galaxy resides a supermassive black hole four million times the mass of our sun called Sagittarius A* that some scientists have called a gentle giant because of its quiescence. But someday it could become a beast. Researchers said on Tuesday they have observed in real time a dramatic brightening at the heart of another galaxy apparently caused by a supermassive black hole awakening from dormancy and beginning to gorge itself with nearby material. It marks the firs...