Black Hole Found to Be Much Closer to Earth Than Previously Thought-Oh Nooooo

[Ichingcarpenter]

Black Hole Found to Be Much Closer to Earth Than Previously Thought

An international team of astronomers has accurately measured the distance from Earth to a black hole for the first time. Without needing to rely on mathematical models the astronomers came up with a distance of 7800 light years, much closer than had been assumed until now. The researchers achieved this breakthrough by measuring the radio emissions from the black hole and its associated dying star.


Due to the much lower error margin (<6%), astronomers can now gain a better picture of how black holes evolve. Moreover, an exact distance is important for measurements of the black hole´s spin.
Astronomical distances are most easily measured using the so-called trigonometric parallax, in which astronomers make use of the annual shift in the star's position as a consequence of the Earth's orbit around the sun (parallax shift).


Using this approach the astronomers could establish that the black hole of V404 Cygni is 7800 light years from Earth, slightly more than half the distance that was previously assumed. The researchers believe that the previous overestimation of this distance was due to an underestimation of the absorption and diffraction of interstellar dust that can give an error margin of about 50 percent. The error margin of the new measurement is less than 6 percent.


I thought I heard a huge sucking noise.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209193904.htm

[azurnoir]

1. Oh don't get sucked in by that stuff

that's interesting though maybe that's how the universe flushes itself

[lob1]

2. It better not get any closer. Cellphone reception sucks in black holes.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. ATT has already blamed apple for their shitty receptions now

they have another culprit.

[amborin]

5. interesting article!

(re: ATT: a ny times article today in the biz section says ATT is best and it is due to an apple interface issue)

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. Typical Ma Bell crap......

If it’s the iPhone’s fault, not AT&T’s, why aren’t iPhone users around the world having the same problems as those here in the U.S.?

[AlienGirl]

4. "Times are gone for honest men..."

This is possibly the best news I've heard this millennium.

Tucker

[Jamastiene]

7. I KNEW IT. We really ARE circling the drain. n/t

[old mark]

8. Well, I guess I better go to that New Years Eve party after all-

never know how many more there will be.....

Is this the Liberal's version of the Rapture?



mark

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. 10 trillion kilometers = one light year.

Now multiply that by 7800 light years= a long fricking ways away

I don't think this equals anything to worry about
unless you worry about a CERN creating one

Now local, within 20 light years, supernovas would be a concern

[old mark]

14. I'm too old to worry about shit like black holes, even if they were on the next

cosmic block.

Asteroids, either.

My body will kill me before any asteroid gets the chance.


mark

[Ichingcarpenter]

15. My black hole was my condo and my health

But I escaped its gravity for now

[Hissyspit]

10. If you run into Maximillian Schell, run the other way.

He'll invite you to the event horizon event.

[Aragorn]

11. very funny

that was on TCM again in the past few days, ya know.

BTW radio emissions are due to black hole events but do not "emanate from them".

[Hissyspit]

13. Actually that was the first time I ever saw it.

After all these years. I always wanted to see it, so I stayed up 'til 4 a.m. to see it.

[StarfarerBill]

12. "Game over, man! Game over!"

:wow:

[sakabatou]

16. You mean it isn't Cheney's chest cavity?