GRO J1655-40: Evidence for a Spinning Black Hole
Credit: April Hobart, CXC
Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole. Studies of the bright light emitted by the swirling gas frequently indicate not only that a black hole is present, but also likely attributes. The gas surrounding GRO J1655-40, for example, has been found to display an unusual flickering at a rate of 450 times a second. Given a previous mass estimate for the central object of seven times the mass of our Sun, the rate of the fast flickering can be explained by a black hole that is rotating very rapidly. What physical mechanisms actually cause the flickering — and a slower quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) — in accretion disks surrounding black holes and neutron stars remains a topic of much research.
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2 responses to “Astronomy Picture Of The Day | GRO J1655-40: Evidence for a Spinning Black Hole”
That is awesome!
Take back skcstieipm? WTF? Like it’s a singular idea that requires rigid interpretation and leadership? I decided long ago that organizing skeptics and / or atheists was like herding cats. We are by nature fiercely independently thinking individuals. If we have nothing else in common, this one fact alone renders your entire diatribe useless. I say let the in fighting continue. I’ve had my own opinions about social issues and politics radically changed in the many years since I’ve become aware of skcstieipm or atheism as movements, and it’s the blowouts like DBAD and elevatorgate that do more to inform my views on these things than anything else. I celebrate our differences of opinion because it means we’re thinking. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal, the reduction of pseudoscience and magical thinking so far as it negatively affects our quality of life. The rest is just semantic garnishment.