amazing science/nature images
DEyncourt wrote:No pics for this (yet?), but....
Astronomers have been tracking a star in a relatively close orbit around the Milky Way's central black hole.
The star's complete elliptical orbit takes about3016 years. When it made its closest approach of about 120 AU or 18 B km (mind you: Neptune's orbit is only 30 AU/4.5 B km and takes 165 years to orbit around the Sun) this past May 19th, it was moving at about 8 K km/sec or 2.7% the speed of light relative to the black hole.
For size comparison: the Milky Way's central black hole is estimated to be about 4.5 M solar masses which would make its event horizon about 0.09 AU or 13.5 M km in radius or about 1/3rd the average distance between the Sun and Mercury.
I made a correction above.
Here's a couple of pic with linked explanations by the Bad Astronomer:


The second graph shows the COMBINED red shift that was observed in this star during its closest approach to the Milky Way's central black hole. Even though the star was "only" about 18 B km from that black hole at its closest point, this red shift was increased because its light had to "climb out" of the black hole's gravity well.
ukimalefu wrote:![]()
here's the cheaper version:

"TOS ain’t havin no horserace round here. “Policies” is the coin of the realm." -- iDaemon
juice wrote: It looks like there's another dog in the upper right.
maggots
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Science is Truth for Life. In FORTRAN tongue the Answer.
...so I'm supposed to find the Shadow King from inside a daiquiri?
Science is Truth for Life. In FORTRAN tongue the Answer.
...so I'm supposed to find the Shadow King from inside a daiquiri?
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dv wrote:TOS wrote: one dog herding a couple thousand sheep![]()
I see that and want there to be math.
Tried counting. Fell asleep.
set DeusEx.JCDentonMale bCheatsEnabled true

"TOS ain’t havin no horserace round here. “Policies” is the coin of the realm." -- iDaemon
- Pithecanthropus
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- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:46 pm
- Title: Roast Master
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Ground is not supposed to do that. Yikes!
set DeusEx.JCDentonMale bCheatsEnabled true

"TOS ain’t havin no horserace round here. “Policies” is the coin of the realm." -- iDaemon
TOS wrote:![]()
