Entertainment Report
This ultra-massive black hole just broke a record
Much like stars and planets, black holes also fall into different categories. Astronomers have now spotted a record-breaking heavyweight black hole at the center of a galaxy known as Holm 15A. The black hole weighs 40 billion times the mass of our sun.
Holm 15A is a central elliptical galaxy within the Abell 85 cluster, which contains more than 500 galaxies. The cluster is 700 million light-years from Earth —- that’s twice as far as the distance for other direct measurements of black hole mass.
But it was the center of Holm 15A that interested scientists. The large galaxy is highly visible due to its wealth of stars, but the center of it was very faint and diffuse. And the center was nearly the size of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way.
Intrigued by this hint of a potentially large black hole, astronomers used the Very Large Telescope and the Wendelstein Observatory to obtain data and new observations.
“There are only a few dozen direct mass measurements of super-massive black holes, and never before has it been attempted at such a distance,” said Jens Thomas, scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. “But we already had some idea of the size of the black hole in this particular galaxy, so we tried it.”
The data revealed that the center was even more faint than expected.
“The light profile in the inner core is also very flat,” said Kianusch Mehregan, a doctoral student at Max Planck who performed the data analysis. “This means that most of the stars in the center must have been expelled due to interactions in previous mergers.”
Galaxies collide and merge all the time. When two galaxies merge, the black hole acting like the engine at the center of the galaxy uses its gravity to toss out stars from the center of the new galactic partner. And if there is a lack of cold gas at the center of the galaxy, no new stars can form.
They were able to establish a relationship between the mass of the black hole and the muted surface brightness of the galaxy’s star-depleted core.
“The newest generation of computer simulations of galaxy mergers gave us predictions that do indeed match the observed properties rather well,” Thomas said. “This means that the shape of the light profile and the trajectories of the stars contain valuable archaeological information about the specific circumstances of core formation in this galaxy — as well as other very massive galaxies.”
Each time the galaxy merges with another one, stars are lost and the black hole gains mass — which accounts for the incredibly high mass of this particular black hole.
Because they were able to measure and weigh the black hole in correlation to the galactic core brightness, researchers believe they could use this to determine black hole mass estimates for even more distant galaxies far from the reach of direct measurements.
By: NBC Palm Springs
December 3, 2019
Latest Instagram Posts
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Sterling Conley with the rushing TD, 2) Marcus Kennedy with the touchdown catch, 3) Cade Pinon with the big time sack, 4) Kingston Pellum with the pick-6, or 5) Caleb Hartwell with the saving throw #fypage #fridaynightlights #football #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball
James Nellis from @dsrt_club_lq and @rd_rnnr_lq makes us one of his signature dishes, his Maine scallops with hibiscus puree. His creativity and skill lead to unique bold flavors and scrumptious dishes. We chat about his love of trying new things in the kitchen, what being a chef means to him, and how food can different, flavorful, and fun. This is James Nellis on a plate. See it now on nbcpalmsprings.com
At the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, first responders, families and community members came together to honor the lives lost—and the heroes who answered the call 25 years ago on September 11, 2001. Two first responders who responded to opposite sides of the World Trade Center met for the first time at the event, sharing a powerful moment of remembrance and connection. 26 flights. Three times. One enduring message: Never Forget. #NeverForget #September11 #911Memorial #MemorialStairClimb #FirstResponders HonorAndRemember 911
Palm Desert’s future takes center stage next week. The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce presents the 2026 State of the City Address & Luncheon on Friday, September 18, at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort. The event brings together local business leaders, community members and city stakeholders for an inside look at the priorities, opportunities and future of Palm Desert. Friday, September 18 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort Palm Desert Individual tickets are $85 for Chamber members and $95 for non-members. Get the details and registration information from the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce. #PalmDesert #StateOfTheCity #CoachellaValley #PalmDesertBusiness #GreaterPalmSprings #PalmDesertChamber
25 years later, the memories of 9/11 remain vivid for the firefighters who witnessed the tragedy firsthand. A longtime FDNY firefighter reflects on the trauma, loss and moments that have stayed with him a quarter-century after the attacks. #911 #September11 #NeverForget #FDNY #Firefighter #911Anniversary #25YearsLater #NewYorkCity #Remembering911 #NBCTPalmSprings
A troubling history is coming to light in a Palm Desert husband’s death. 65-year old Vicky Kim is accused in the death of her husband — but prosecutors say she had previously faced several domestic violence cases involving him. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office says it had secured protective orders against Kim before a judge later resolved her cases as misdemeanors, released her from custody and terminated those orders. Now, Kim is expected to be arraigned in connection with her husband’s death. Court records allege the weapon used was a flagpole.
☕️🔥 How hot is TOO hot? A new study finds that drinking scalding-hot beverages may be linked to nearly 3 times the risk of esophageal cancer—the most common type of cancer affecting the esophagus. The takeaway? Let that coffee, tea or other hot drink cool down before taking a sip. ❤️ #HealthNews #EsophagealCancer #CancerRisk #HotBeverages #Coffee #Tea #CancerAwareness #HealthyHabits #HealthTips
☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. The squishy craze!
Coachella city council unanimously approved an anti-nepotism rule that ban an any Councilmember from appointing a family member or household member to the city’s commissions and committees. Tune in to our 11 p.m newscast as our @newsbyalondra breaks down the policy.
An anti-nepotism rule will be discussed and voted on at tonight’s Coachella City Council meeting - that would ban city council members from appointing their own family members or household members to commissions and committees. Tune in to our 8:30 p.m newscast and our socials and website as our @newsbyalondra brings us the latest details on that final vote.