Watch monstrous black hole GOBBLE up a star before Earth-shattering explosion in incredible new Nasa clip
5
Researchers have created an animation showing the moment a black hole ripped apart a star
Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
5
The event triggered a massive explosion
Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
The animation shows the rare moment that the suspected intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) HLX-1 ripped apart the
According to Live Science, IMBHs are hard to spot and often confused with clusters of smaller black holes left over from collapsed stars.
Researches also think they may hide behind small groups of stars that closely orbit them without being ripped apart.
Tech news
Therefore, the best way to spot an IMBH is indirectly, by measuring the masses of merging black holes or by catching them in the act consuming a star.
In a study published April 11 in
By combining data from the
and
's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the study team believes they have spotted a bright flash, or "tidal disruption event," caused by the black hole devouring a neighbouring star.
However, as with many other IMBH candidates, it is not 100% certain that HLX-1 is real.
Most read in Tech
In addition to being rare, IMBHs are important because of what they can tell us about other black holes.
Yi-Chi Chang, a researcher at the National Tsing Hua University, said: "They represent a crucial missing link in black hole evolution between stellar mass and supermassive black holes."
UK-led plan to build hypersonic plane that flies on edge of space at 4,000mph going from London to NYC in 60mins
One theory is that they may start as large stellar-mass black holes and eventually grow into supermassive black holes over the course of billions of years.
In a search for answers, astronomers are now on the lookout for more potential tidal disruption events on the edges of other galaxies.
All you need to know about the planets in our solar system
Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all...
How old is
How many moons does
What colour is
How far away is
How big is
How many moons does
Does
How many moons does
How big is
How hot is the
5
HLX-1 is located on the outskirts off NGC 6099 galaxy
Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
5
Astronomers are on the lookout for more disruption events of this kind
Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
5
The black hole devoured a neighbouring star
Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
Sea waters around UK experience record temperatures, causing dramatic changes in marine life
There have been dramatic changes to marine life as a result of seas around the UK having their warmest start to the year since records began, according to provisional data from the UK Met Office. Ireland's seawater temperatures, however, have declined since a marine heatwave occurred during exceptionally warm weather in May , but continue above normal in the east and south, Met Éireann climatologist Paul Moore said. UK Met Office data placed May's heatwave at the extreme end of the spectrum, with the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network confirming sea surface temperatures were up to 4 degrees above average. The average surface temperature of UK waters in the seven months to the end of July was more than 0.2 degrees higher than in any year since 1980, with dramatic changes in marine life evident due to this prolonged heating, analysis of the provisional Met Office data by the BBC concludes. READ MORE Scientists and citizen naturalists have observed a remarkable range of species not usually widespread in UK waters, including octopus, bluefin tuna and mauve stinger jellyfish. [ Angling suspended at three of Ireland's top fisheries due to high water temperatures Opens in new window ] The abundance of these creatures can be affected by natural cycles and fishing practices, but many researchers point to the warming seas as a crucial part of their increased presence. 'Things like jellyfish, like octopus ... they are the sorts of things that you expect to respond quickly to climate change,' Dr Bryce Stewart, a senior research fellow at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, told the BBC. 'It's a bit like the canary in the coal mine – the sorts of quite extraordinary changes we've seen over the last few years really do indicate an ecosystem under flux." Atlantic bluefin tuna have been seen along Britain's southwest coast in large numbers this year and have been increasingly detected in Irish waters. Bluefin tuna numbers have been building over the past decade for a number of reasons, including warmer waters and better management of their populations. But extreme heat, combined with historical overfishing, is pushing some cold-adapted species like cod and wolffish to their limits. 'We're definitely seeing this shift of cooler water species moving north in general,' Dr Stewart added. The seas around Ireland and the UK are now considerably warmer than even a few decades ago, a trend driven by the burning of fossil fuels. Warmer seas intensify hurricanes and storms, while there are particular changes to Atlantic currents due to warming that could alter normal weather patterns profoundly. The world's oceans have taken up about 90 per cent of the Earth's excess heat from humanity's emissions of planet-warming gases, including carbon dioxide. This spring was dominated by high-pressure weather conditions, mostly just to the north of Ireland and Britain, resulting in above-average sunshine and below-average winds, generally coming from an easterly direction. A marine heatwave is when the sea surface temperatures are significantly above average for a long period of time. The warmest part of the year for sea surface temperatures is usually in August, with the latest data confirming waters off the south and west of England are exceptionally warm. Further south, the Bay of Biscay is experiencing temperatures 1 to 2 degrees above normal. [ Fishing industry fears changing stocks and species as sea temperatures rise from climate change Opens in new window ] Ireland still has above-average temperatures along the south and east, with waters off the north and west coasts nearer the average, Mr Moore said. Water temperatures in the Irish Sea were 15.3 degrees on Monday, close to the average for August. In Co Cork, waters were at 16.8 degrees, above the average of 16.2 degrees. This may change over the coming week, Mr Moore added, as Ireland is forecast to have winds predominantly from a southerly direction 'which is like to exacerbate sea temperatures'. Mr Moore confirmed the overall trend of warming in the Atlantic, with temperatures 'well above the 1991-2020 long-term average'. A marine heatwave in the Mediterranean intensified a 'heat dome' over France and Spain in recent weeks. The Met Office says its data from the end of June 2024 to now is provisional and will be finalised in the coming months, but this usually results in only very minor changes.
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Irish Times
Some words of caution before you buy a medical self-testing kit
Are you someone who purchases and uses medical self-testing kits? If so, some just-published research suggests caveat emptor may be in order. Self-testing is increasingly popular, especially since the Covid-19 epidemic, when lateral flow tests allowed ubiquitous home testing for the infection. However, two studies published in the British Medical Journal have found that many self-tests are unfit for purpose and need greater regulation to ensure they are safe and reliable. In the first comprehensive studies into the issue, researchers at the University of Birmingham reviewed 30 self-tests bought from local supermarkets, pharmacies and health-and-wellbeing shops. The tests covered 19 different conditions, including vitamin D deficiency, blood sugar, thyroid function, prostate health, HIV, menopause and bowel cancer . READ MORE Of the 30 tests, just 14 made any statement about test accuracy, only eight provided information on the box about who should or should not use the test and only seven indicated what action to take after the result. Only 16 tests explicitly stated they were for screening, diagnosis or monitoring, while nine did not indicate the symptoms or risk factors for their use. [ Thinking of buying a medical self-test kit? Read this first Opens in new window ] However, nearly all tests (27 out of 30) recommended follow-up with a healthcare professional if results were positive or abnormal. Performance claims were made for 24 tests, with more than half claiming 98 per cent accuracy or higher. Yet, much of the evidence to back these claims was not publicly available or was of low quality, which the authors say also raises ethical concerns. The researchers rated 18 of the tests as 'high risk' over concerns about the testing equipment, sampling process or instructions and interpretation of the results, while use of the tests as advertised was judged contrary to evidence-based guidance for 11 of the 19 conditions studied. Since collecting their initial sample of tests in 2023, the researchers have continued to track the market – and it's flourishing. A repeat search of the same geographical area in December 2024 identified 63 tests, twice as many as the previous year, many of them clones of existing self-tests, rebranded and sold under different names by a range of distributors. And while the study was UK based, the tests all had CE marks – a certification mark to signify that products have met essential European standards – making the results relevant in an Irish context. In the Republic, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) assesses self-testing kits, which are classified as in-vitro diagnostic tests. It advises only purchasing products with a CE mark and for consumers not to rely on the tests alone. No self-testing is 100 per cent reliable, it says, pointing out that a number of factors may interfere with or affect test results, including medicines and dietary supplements. An example of the problems with the self-testing kits identified by the BMJ is illustrated by one marketed for the diagnosis of 'chronic kidney injury'. The test, which looks for the presence of protein in the urine, had the most usability issues of all the tests examined. There were significant sampling challenges and unclear result interpretation, with faint colour reference charts making results hard to read. Readers may wonder if there is an element of medical paternalism at play here. After all, when home pregnancy tests were made available, some doctors argued that women should not be trusted to use them. But an accompanying BMJ editorial states that 'giving people access to information and tools to understand their health is not in itself inherently problematic'. [ Go with the flow: How lateral flow tests are becoming a diagnostic game changer Opens in new window ] 'Empowering individuals to take an active role in their health is an important goal, but if self-tests are to be sold directly to the public, they must be supported by high quality evidence, robust regulation, trustworthy public information, and clear pathways for interpretation and follow up,' it concludes. For consumers here, the BMJ studies suggest a need for closer co-operation between the HPRA and the European Commission to ensure the CE marking system is fit for purpose. mhouston@
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Astronauts return to Earth with SpaceX after five months at ISS
Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts parachutes into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast (Keegan Barber/Nasa via AP) Splashing down were Nasa's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two Nasa astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. Nasa ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after Ms McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Mr Wilmore has since retired from Nasa. Before leaving the space station on Friday, Ms McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts parachutes into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast (Keegan Barber/Nasa via AP) 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. Ms McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston, US. High on her crewmates' wish list were hot showers and juicy burgers. It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a Nasa crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time Nasa astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a detente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit.
