A group of scientists from the Institute of Astrophysics in the Canary Islands and the University of Munich observed a wonderful space phenomenon in… galaxy to Andromeda. Thanks to the Hubble and Splitzer space telescopes, the team was able to directly observe the feeding process of a living organism. Black hole.
The study was published in the prestigious science and astronomy magazine “The Astrophysical Journal” and can be read in full by clicking here.
According to the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands galaxy to AndromedaWhich can be seen with the naked eye and is one of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way Black hole Massive at its center, it has a mass about 100 million times greater than the mass of the Sun. However, that Black holeas well as the planet at the center of the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*, are the least active, as they emit little radiation.
Activity A Black hole It depends on how it is fed, that is, on how the incoming material approaches its center. In the case of the Milky Way, this activity is difficult to track due to its proximity to Earth, where the dust veil is very high and crowded with stars; But this does not happen in Andromedawhere it can be monitored Black hole The IAC added that the center has fewer barriers.
Christian Alig, a researcher at USM, explained this black holes They are “voracious but delicate eaters” He also noted that when these alien phenomena are fed slowly and gradually, they leave no trace of their food, but when the feeding is forceful and excessive, their reaction is “violent and aggressive.” “.
With the help of the Hubble and Splitzer telescopes, astronomers discovered this Black hole It feeds on what they call “long filaments of dust and gas” that lie far from the Earth's core galaxy. These threads go gradually and spirally to Black holesimilar to how water rushes down a stream, noted Almudena Brito, an IAC researcher and co-author of the study.
Using powerful computers, researchers were able to monitor the path and whereabouts of these threads across time and space. space.
“The network of paths, or threads (the colored borders in each image), seems to become more complex as you get closer to the center of the image. galaxy. However, the movement is orderly and progressive, with the threads slowly building towards Black hole. IAC scientists explained that the journey takes more than 100 million years.
“While Hubble is able to see the blackness of dust filaments in visible light, Spitzer distinguishes the dust filaments themselves, but in the infrared range. In this way, joint observation with both telescopes was able to detect something.” Full view of the surrounding material accumulation process Black hole“The researchers commented.
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