http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/black_holes/ Black Holes in Space. Read science articles on colliding supermassive black holes, simulated gravitational waves of a black hole, black hole theory and more. Astronomy images. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/black_holes/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123945.htm Astronomers have found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered. The presence of the star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The discovery of the black hole and the star cluster has important implications for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123838.htm Astronomers have found a cluster of young blue stars surrounding a mid-sized black hole called HLX-1. The discovery suggests that the black hole formed in the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The findings have important implications for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208133039.htm The giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way may be vaporizing and devouring asteroids, which could explain the frequent flares observed, according to astronomers. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208133039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092421.htm The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, which is found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 helps astronomers learn more about our celestial home. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202094328.htm The center of just about every galaxy is thought to host a black hole, some with masses of thousands of millions of Suns and consequently strong gravitational pulls that disrupt material around them. They had been thought to hinder the birth of stars, but now astronomers studying the nearby galaxy Centaurus A have found quite the opposite: a black hole that seems to be helping stars to form. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202094328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172410.htm Scientists have recently discovered that vast clouds of hot gas are "sloshing" in Abell 2052, a galaxy cluster located about 480 million light years from Earth. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134058.htm Astronomers using the partially completed ALMA observatory have found compelling evidence for how star-forming galaxies evolve into 'red and dead' elliptical galaxies, catching a large group of galaxies right in the middle of this change. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133952.htm A new Hubble Space Telescope image centers on the 100-million-solar-mass black hole at the hub of the neighboring spiral galaxy M31, or the Andromeda galaxy, the only galaxy outside the Milky Way visible to the naked eye and the only other giant galaxy in the local group. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110173451.htm Astronomers have identified the moment when a black hole in our galaxy launched super-fast knots of gas into space. Racing outward at about one-quarter the speed of light, these "bullets" of ionized gas are thought to arise from a region located just outside the black hole's event horizon, the point beyond which nothing can escape. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110173451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151708.htm Simultaneous radio and X-ray observations allow astronomers to calculate exact time when superfast "bullets" of material were ejected from the close vicinity of a black hole. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084228.htm Given the incredible amounts of energy in a supernova explosion -- as much as the sun creates during its entire lifetime -- another erroneous doomsday theory is that such an explosion could happen in 2012 and harm life on Earth. However, given the vastness of space and the long times between supernovae, astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084059.htm One of the most bizarre theories about 2012 has built up with very little attention to facts. This idea holds that a cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth, the center of our galaxy -- or perhaps the galaxy's thick dust clouds -- on the winter solstice could for some unknown reason lead to destruction. Such alignments can occur but these are a regular occurrence and can cause no harm (and, indeed, will not even be at its closest alignment during the 2012 solstice.) Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215232722.htm Astronomers have identified a candidate for the smallest-known black hole using data from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The evidence comes from a specific type of X-ray pattern, nicknamed a "heartbeat" because of its resemblance to an electrocardiogram. The pattern until now has been recorded in only one other black hole system. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215232722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214135739.htm Astronomers have observed a cloud of gas several times the mass of Earth approaching the 4.3 million solar-mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way, and calculate that it will not survive the encounter. Astronomers calculate that by 2013, the cloud will be shredded and heated, emitting X-rays. The violent event provides a unique opportunity to record a black hole disruption until now only theorized. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214135739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214135649.htm Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have discovered a gas cloud with several times the mass of Earth accelerating fast towards the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. This is the first time ever that the approach of such a doomed cloud to a supermassive black hole has been observed. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214135649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124557.htm Researchers have discovered what caused the rapid growth of early supermassive black holes -- a steady diet of cold, fast food. Computer simulations show that thin streams of cold gas flow uncontrolled into the center of the first black holes, causing them to grow faster than anything else in the universe. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206115258.htm Astronomers recently discovered the most massive black holes to date. Found in two separate nearby galaxies roughly 300 million light years away from Earth, each black hole has a mass equivalent to 10 billion suns. Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206115258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205140609.htm Astronomers using the Keck, Gemini and MacDonald observatories have discovered the largest black holes to date: Two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns that are threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system. These monsters may be the remains of quasars that brightened the early universe. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205140609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144047.htm New details about the birth of a famous black hole that took place millions of years ago have been uncovered, thanks to a team of scientists who used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as from radio, optical and other X-ray telescopes. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144045.htm A precise distance measurement by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) allowed astronomers to accurately calculate the mass and spin of a famous black hole, thus providing a complete description of the object. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111104091652.htm Scientists have observed a quasar accretion disk -- a glowing disk of matter that is slowly being sucked into its galaxy's central black hole. Their study makes use of a novel technique that uses gravitational lensing to give an immense boost to the power of the telescope. The precision of the method has allowed astronomers to directly measure the disk's size and temperature across different parts of the disk. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111104091652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082003.htm Fat doughnut-shaped dust shrouds that obscure about half of supermassive black holes could be the result of high speed crashes between planets and asteroids, according to a new theory from an international team of astronomers. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011171558.htm Some supermassive black holes power luminous, rapidly growing objects called active galactic nuclei (AGN) that gather and condense enormous quantities of matter. Because astronomers had seen these objects primarily in massive, old galaxies with aging stars, many thought AGN might help to end the formation of new stars, though the evidence was always circumstantial. Now, a new survey has found AGN in all kinds of galaxies, including young, star-making factories. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011171558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102010.htm Astrophysicists have found evidence of black holes destroying stars, a long-sought phenomenon that provides a new window into general relativity. The research also opens up a method to search for the possible existence of a large population of presently undetectable "intermediate mass" black holes which are hypothesized to be precursors to the super-massive black holes at the centers of most large galaxies. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103227.htm Space is a violent place. If a star explodes or black holes collide anywhere in our part of the Milky Way, they'd give off colossal blasts of lethal gamma-rays, X-rays and cosmic rays and it's perfectly reasonable to expect Earth to be bathed in them. A new study of such events has yielded some new information about the potential effects of what are called "short-hard" interstellar radiation events. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084036.htm An international team of astronomers has revealed new data about the environment surrounding one of the brightest supermassive black holes known. The scientists have discovered a corona of very hot gas, with a temperature of around ten million degrees Celsius, swirling around the black hole. They have also revealed the existence of powerful winds made of cold, dense clouds of gas surrounded by hotter, more diffuse gas. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929155306.htm Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies swallow large amounts of gas. During this feast they spill a lot of their 'food', which is discharged in turbulent outbursts. An international team of astronomers has revealed some striking features of such an outburst around a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. They found a very hot 'convertor' corona hovering above the black hole and cold gas 'bullets' in hotter diffuse gas, speeding outwards with velocities up to 700 km/s. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929155306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920161546.htm Astronomers using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have captured rare data of a flaring black hole, revealing new details about these powerful objects and their blazing jets. Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920161546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919121839.htm Researchers have unveiled a ready-made method for detecting the collision of stars with an elusive type of black hole that is on the short list of objects believed to make up dark matter. Such a discovery could serve as observable proof of dark matter and provide a much deeper understanding of the universe's inner workings. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919121839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131601.htm Using the Hubble Space Telescope to probe the distant universe, astronomers have found supermassive black holes growing in surprisingly small galaxies. The findings suggest that central black holes formed at an early stage in galaxy evolution. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901141247.htm Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the first pair of supermassive black holes in a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Approximately 160 million light years from Earth, the pair is the nearest known such phenomenon. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901141247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824142847.htm Astronomers have provided new insights into a cosmic accident that has been streaming X-rays toward Earth since late March. NASA's Swift satellite first alerted astronomers to intense and unusual high-energy flares from the new source in the constellation Draco. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824142847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110810215342.htm New research gives a fresh perspective on the physics of black holes. Conventional thinking asserts that black holes swallow everything that gets too close and that nothing can escape, but a new study suggests that information could escape from black holes after all. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110810215342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110727133843.htm The flow of hot gas toward a black hole has been clearly imaged for the first time in X-rays. The observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory will help tackle two of the most fundamental problems in modern astrophysics: understanding how black holes grow and how matter behaves in their intense gravity. Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110727133843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720121905.htm Research finds that black holes' spin and lateral movement can power bright jets of light known as quasars. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720121905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713092141.htm A new study combining data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory has turned up a surprise. Most of the huge black holes in the centres of galaxies in the past 11 billion years were not turned on by mergers between galaxies, as had been previously thought. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713092141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630111540.htm The European Space Agency's Integral gamma-ray observatory has provided results that will dramatically affect the search for physics beyond Einstein. It has shown that any underlying quantum 'graininess' of space must be at much smaller scales than previously predicted. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630111540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629132419.htm A team of astronomers has discovered the most distant quasar to date -- a development that could help further our understanding of a universe still in its infancy following the Big Bang. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629132419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616142712.htm The flash from one of the biggest and brightest bangs yet recorded by astronomers comes from a massive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy, new research shows. The black hole appears to have ripped apart a star that wandered too close, creating a powerful beam of energy that crossed the 3.8 billion light years to Earth. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616142712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616142709.htm A bright flash of gamma rays observed March 28 by the Swift satellite signaled the death of a star falling into a massive black hole, say a team of astronomers. According to their model, a star the mass of our sun got too close and was ripped apart; one-tenth of the mass was emitted as X-rays and gamma rays, much of it in a collimated jet aimed at Earth. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616142709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615171416.htm Using the deepest X-ray image ever taken, astronomers have found the first direct evidence that massive black holes were common in the early universe. This discovery from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that very young black holes grew more aggressively than previously thought, in tandem with the growth of their host galaxies. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615171416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615135331.htm Using the deepest X-ray image ever taken, astronomers found the first direct evidence that massive black holes were common in the early universe. This discovery from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that very young black holes grew more aggressively than previously thought, in tandem with the growth of their host galaxies. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615135331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615132023.htm A scientific team has unveiled evidence of black holes being common in the early universe. The discovery shows that these young black holes grew more aggressively than scientists previously thought. The finding has important implications for how astronomers understand the early cosmos. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615132023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615132021.htm A team of astronomers has discovered the earliest black holes ever detected, despite the fact that they are hidden from view by their host galaxies. They also measured the average growth rate of the black holes and discovered that they grow and evolve in tandem with their galaxies -- something that astronomers had observed locally but which they knew little about when it came to the early, distant universe. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615132021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610164638.htm A study using NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 light-years separate the two cores, each of which contains a black hole gorging on infalling gas. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610164638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110606092731.htm By studying the X-rays emitted when superheated gases plunge into distant and massive black holes, astrophysicists have provided an important test of a long-standing theory that describes the extreme physics occurring when matter spirals into these massive objects. Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110606092731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526205101.htm Direct evidence of the existence of gravitational waves is something that has long eluded researchers. However, new research has suggested that adding just one of the proposed detectors in Japan, Australia and India will drastically increase the expected rate of detection. Thu, 26 May 2011 20:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526205101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523074954.htm Astronomers have found that the giant black holes in the center of galaxies are on average spinning faster than at any time in the history of the universe. Scientists made the new discovery by using radio, optical and X-ray data. Mon, 23 May 2011 07:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523074954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110520160607.htm An international team, using radio telescopes located throughout the Southern Hemisphere, has produced the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy. Fri, 20 May 2011 16:06:06 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110520160607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509091415.htm With observations the Herschel space observatory, scientists have found gigantic storms of molecular gas gusting in the centres of many galaxies. Some of these massive outflows reach velocities of more than 1000 kilometers per second -- thousands of times faster than in terrestrial hurricanes. The observations show that the more active galaxies contain stronger winds, which can blow away the entire gas reservoir in a galaxy, thereby inhibiting both further star formation and the growth of the central black hole. This finding is the first conclusive evidence for the importance of galactic winds in the evolution of galaxies. Mon, 09 May 2011 09:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509091415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419205834.htm The Hubble Deep Field (HDF), taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in the 1990s, is one of the most iconic images in astronomy. Now, astronomers at Jodrell Bank Observatory have produced a high-resolution mosaic of the HDF region using observations from the MERLIN and VLA radio telescope arrays, as well as the new e-MERLIN array. Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419205834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110411092750.htm When black holes slam into each other, the surrounding space and time surge and undulate like a heaving sea during a storm. This warping of space and time is so complicated that physicists haven't been able to understand the details of what goes on -- until now. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110411092750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110408124301.htm A galaxy's core is a busy place, crowded with stars swarming around an enormous black hole. When galaxies collide, it gets even messier as the two black holes spiral toward each other, merging to make an even bigger gravitational monster. Once it is created, the monster goes on a rampage. The merger kicks the black hole into surrounding stars. There it finds a hearty meal, shredding and swallowing stars at a rapid clip. Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110408124301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407132618.htm A new supercomputer simulation shows the collision of two neutron stars can naturally produce the magnetic structures thought to power the high-speed particle jets associated with short gamma-ray bursts. The study provides the most detailed glimpse of the forces driving some of the universe's most energetic explosions. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407132618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407121345.htm Astronomers are studying one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts yet observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location. Astronomers say that the unusual blast likely arose when a star wandered too close to its galaxy's central black hole. Intense tidal forces tore the star apart, and the infalling gas continues to stream toward the hole. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407121345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110325082725.htm The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) has obtained the first spectroscopy data from the X-ray transient binary XTE J1859+226, which confirm the existence of a black hole. Only about 20 binary stellar systems are known to contain a black hole, out of an estimated population of around 5,000 in the Milky Way Galaxy. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110325082725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110324153753.htm The European Space Agency's Integral gamma-ray observatory has spotted extremely hot matter just a millisecond before it plunges into the oblivion of a black hole. But is it really doomed? These unique observations suggest that some of the matter may be making a great escape. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110324153753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302171322.htm Black holes are some of the heaviest objects in the universe. Electrons are some of the lightest. Now physicists have shown how charged black holes can be used to model the behavior of interacting electrons in unconventional superconductors. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302171322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120171413.htm Seen in X-rays, the entire sky is aglow. Even far away from bright sources, X-rays originating from beyond our galaxy provide a steady glow in every direction. Astronomers have long suspected that the chief contributors to this cosmic X-ray background were dust-swaddled black holes at the centers of active galaxies. The trouble was, too few of them were detected to do the job. An international team of scientists using data from NASA's Swift satellite confirms the existence of a largely unseen population of black-hole-powered galaxies. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120171413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120073654.htm Massive black holes have been found at the centers of almost all galaxies, where the largest galaxies -- which are also the ones embedded in the largest halos of dark matter -- harbor the most massive black holes. This led to the speculation that there is a direct link between dark matter and black holes, i.e. that exotic physics controls the growth of a black hole. Scientists have now conducted an extensive study of galaxies to prove that black hole mass is not directly related to the mass of the dark matter halo but rather seems to be determined by the formation of the galaxy bulge. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120073654.htm