Mystery Space Object May Be Ejected Black Hole

[n2doc]

In a Hubble picture, a red circle indicates an object in a distant galaxy that could be an ejected black hole.

Image courtesy Peter Jonker
John Roach
for National Geographic News
Published May 7, 2010

A mystery object in a galaxy far, far away could be a supermassive black hole that got booted from its home galaxy's center, according to a new study.

Then again, the strange body could be a rare type of supernova or an oddball "midsize" black hole—more massive than black holes born when single stars explode but "lighter" than the supermassive ones at the centers of galaxies.

"All three of those are exotic and have something peculiar to them," said study co-author Peter Jonker, an astronomer with the Netherlands Institute for Space Research in Utrecht.

more

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100507-science-space-black-holes-supernova-mystery/

[unhappycamper]

1. I sure am going to miss Hubble when it crashes back to Earth.

Am I'm also not looking forward to not having a space-borne telescope. :(

[n2doc]

3. There is a replacement being built- James Webb Space Telescope n/t

[unhappycamper]

4. Assuming of course that there is fuel to launch rockets, rockets as well as money to pay it.

Unless we get out of the sandbox rickety-tickity I doubt there will be money to pay for much of anything. :grr:

[Scuba]

2. Or maybe a flaw in the lens. Or a picture of Elvis.

[Hosnon]

5. Anyone know how scientists single things like that out?

If you showed me that picture, that smudge would not stand out. Of course, I'm no scientist and I'm sure the actual scientists had more to go off of than just this picture.