SkyMapper tagged posts

The fastest-growing black hole in the universe is 34 billion times the mass of our sun and feasts on a meal the equivalent of our sun each day, according to a new study.

This massive, hungry black hole was first identified and studied by researchers in May 2018. Previously, they believed it consumed the mass equivalent to our sun every two days. Now, they have a better understanding of this monster black hole and its gluttonous behavior.

The black hole is known as J2157 and exists more than 12 billion light-years back in the distant universe. Astronomers are trying to understand how such massive black holes could evolve during the early days of the universe. The researchers continue to search for more massive black holes like this one to understand how they have grown.

“It’s ...

1. Artist’s impression of Type Ia Supernova, Image: ESA
2. The left is the “new image” from a couple of nights ago while the middle one is the “reference” image taken a couple of years ago, the right image is the difference between “new” and “reference.” The researchers said there is clearly an exploding star in the outskirts of the galaxy. Credit: ANU

Online volunteers, including a woman from Belgium and a Scottish man, have helped astronomers at The Australian National University (ANU) find a star that exploded 970 million years ago, predating the dinosaurs’ time on Earth. ANU has invited everyone with an interest in astronomy to join the University’s search for supernovae, which scientists can use to measure the Universe and acceleration of its growth.

Dr Brad Tucker said his team was ab...