Astronomers identify one of the universe's rarest black hole events
Astronomers have detected a rare 'wandering' mega black hole shredding a star at the edge of a galaxy.
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The brief
Astronomers, including researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill, have identified one of the rarest events in the universe: a wandering mega black hole. NASA’s Swift telescope observed the black hole shredding a star while positioned at the edge of a galaxy.
Coverage from New Scientist, Phys.org, and EurekAlert! emphasizes that this discovery represents the best example yet of an enormous wandering black hole. The event is characterized as exceptionally rare within the universe.
Future observation will likely focus on the data captured by NASA's Swift regarding the shredding of the star and the black hole's position.
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Quick answers
What was detected?
A wandering mega black hole that was observed shredding a star.
Where was the black hole located?
It was spotted at the edge of a galaxy.
Which organizations were involved in the detection?
The discovery involved astronomers from UNC-Chapel Hill and the use of NASA's Swift telescope.
Coverage (5)
- First-ever ‘wandering’ black hole spotted at the edge of a galaxy EurekAlert! · 8h ago
- UNC-Chapel Hill Astronomers Detect One of the Universe’s Rarest Black Hole Events Bioengineer.org · 8h ago
- We’ve found the best example yet of an enormous wandering black hole New Scientist · 8h ago
- NASA’s Swift Sees ‘Wandering’ Mega Black Hole Shredding Star NASA Science (.gov) · 8h ago
- Astronomers identify one of the universe's rarest black hole events Phys.org · 8h ago broke it first
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