weeds writes:
"This has been going on for some time and the date of closest approach keeps getting pushed back. Here is the latest report from the New York Times on the approach of a gas cloud called G2 towards the Galactic Center.
Black holes, which are the ultra-dense, collapsed objects predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, are often depicted as voracious feeders whose extraordinary gravity acts like a one-way membrane: Everything is sucked in, even light, and virtually nothing leaks out.
Now, for the first time, astronomers may have a chance to watch as a giant black hole consumes a cosmic snack.
In March or April, the gas cloud G2, which has been hurtling toward the center of the Milky Way, is expected to collide with Sagittarius A*, a black hole that lies just 26,000 light-years away from Earth."
(Score: 5, Informative) by weeds on Wednesday February 19 2014, @04:53PM
Get money out of politics! [mayday.us]
(Score: 3, Informative) by martyb on Wednesday February 19 2014, @05:37PM
Weeds(611) [soylentnews.org] wrote:
Thanks for the Wikipedia link! Among the links I found there, I found this one especially interesting: "Sgr A* -- Swift Monitoring Program 2013/2014 [swift-sgra.com] which states, in part:
Lots of historical data, pretty pictures(!), and even *more* links to sources and write-ups.
For those who want to keep up with the happenings there, it also mentions:
I, for one, am anxiously awaiting what may happen, and what we'll learn!
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Thursday February 20 2014, @12:24AM
I, for one, am anxiously awaiting what may happen, and what we'll learn!
Why am I reminded of that scene in the movie Independence Day when a bunch of UFO crazies gather on some roof and cheerfully look into the barrel of a Zettawatt gamma laser? :-)
(Score: 1) by isaac on Wednesday February 19 2014, @07:16PM
Perinigricon is definitely my word of the day.
-Isaac