Rare Intermediate-mass Black Hole found and measured by astronomers - Polidicks

Sauce: [url]http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/astronomers-measure-rare-black-hole/article6329004.ece[/url] [quote]Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have accurately measured and confirmed the existence of an elusive black hole, 400 times the mass of our Sun, in a galaxy 12 million light years from Earth. Ranging from a hundred times to a few hundred thousand times the Sun’s mass, these intermediate-mass black holes are so hard to measure and even their existence is sometimes disputed. Little is known about how they form. And some astronomers question whether they behave like other black holes. University of Maryland astronomy graduate student Dheeraj Pasham and colleagues succeeded in accurately measuring — and thus confirming the existence of — a black hole about 400 times the mass of our Sun in a galaxy 12 million light years from Earth. Co-author Richard Mushotzky, a UMD astronomy professor, said the black hole in question is a just-right-sized version of this class of astral objects. “Objects in this range are the least expected of all black holes,” said Mushotzky. While the intermediate-mass black hole that the team studied is not the first one measured, it is the first one so precisely measured, Mushotzky says, “establishing it as a compelling example of this class of black holes.” “For reasons that are very hard to understand, these objects have resisted standard measurement techniques,” said Mushotzky.[/quote]

Why is it relevant that one of researchers is of Indian origin?

[QUOTE=thomasfn;45728025]Why is it relevant that one of researchers is of Indian origin?[/QUOTE] Probably due to it being a hindu news site?

[QUOTE=thomasfn;45728025]Why is it relevant that one of researchers is of Indian origin?[/QUOTE] The newspaper is an Indian source, they will specifically mention most times when researchers of Indian origin take part in any scientific endeavor.

[QUOTE=thomasfn;45728025]Why is it relevant that one of researchers is of Indian origin?[/QUOTE] For the love of God keep this shit away from science reports. Origin of the researchers is almost always mentioned since forever.

[QUOTE=thomasfn;45728025]Why is it relevant that one of researchers is of Indian origin?[/QUOTE] The same reason why every article about any disaster includes the "x people of your nationality died".

so how about that black hole

[QUOTE=dai;45728189]so how about that black hole[/QUOTE] lol you're on the wrong site for that

This thread is a black hole of intelligent discussion

"rare" As if black holes are commonplace.

[QUOTE=Smoot;45728400]"rare" As if black holes are commonplace.[/QUOTE] Did you even read the extract? intermediate black holes are what's rare, they're so rare researchers have still been disputing their existence until now. Bring back bad reading.

[QUOTE=Falubii;45728242]lol you're on the wrong site for that[/QUOTE] ban me u won't

[QUOTE=Smoot;45728400]"rare" As if black holes are commonplace.[/QUOTE] There are two or three known intermediate mass black holes - too large to be the product of individual stellar collapses and too small to be the supermassive black holes that sit at the centre of galaxies. It's weird because this object is 400 times the mass of the sun, yet even in their prime we've never seen entire stars (and not just their reminants) weighing in at more than 265 times the mass of the sun (and by themselves stars shouldn't be forming at more than 150, but [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R136a1[/url] appears to be a merger of more than one star). Supermassive black holes are many thousands to billions of solar masses in comparison.

Perhaps intermediate black holes are rare because it's uncommon for two small black holes that are the product of stellar collapse to merge together.

I would very much like to take that Indian's rare-intermediate mass up my black hole.

[QUOTE=Smoot;45728400]"rare" As if black holes are commonplace.[/QUOTE] There are probably more than ten million in our galaxy alone. That's kinda commonplace.