January 28, 2011 - Space.com
To help take extra sharp images of space, a telescope in South America is firing a mega-laser – one made up of five beams – into the night sky.
The sodium laser "constellation" – as scientists call it – is part of a telescope at the Gemini South Observatory in Chile and is the cornerstone for a next-generation adaptive optics system. Photos of the laser in action reveal it as a thick, bright yellow beam of light cutting through the night sky.
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Friday, January 28, 2011
Gemini South shines first sodium laser "constellation"
January 27, 2011 - Astronomy.com
GeMS, the next-generation adaptive optics system, allows relatively wide-field imaging at extremely high resolution over an exceptionally large portion of the sky.
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GeMS, the next-generation adaptive optics system, allows relatively wide-field imaging at extremely high resolution over an exceptionally large portion of the sky.
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Neighboring black hole puts on weight
January 12, 2011 - ScienceNews
Astronomers have determined with high precision that the black hole at the heart of the nearby galaxy M87 weighs the equivalent of 6.6 billion suns. The finding makes the monster the most massive known in Earth’s cosmic neighborhood and the heaviest black hole measured so far using the orbits of stars.
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To weigh M87’s black hole, Gebhardt’s team used precision optics on the Gemini North telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea to measure the speeds of groups of stars orbiting the galaxy’s core at different distances. The speedup of stars closest to the center gives a precise measure of the black hole’s pull, allowing researchers to calculate its mass. The researchers also used data gathered by a telescope at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas.
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Astronomers have determined with high precision that the black hole at the heart of the nearby galaxy M87 weighs the equivalent of 6.6 billion suns. The finding makes the monster the most massive known in Earth’s cosmic neighborhood and the heaviest black hole measured so far using the orbits of stars.
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To weigh M87’s black hole, Gebhardt’s team used precision optics on the Gemini North telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea to measure the speeds of groups of stars orbiting the galaxy’s core at different distances. The speedup of stars closest to the center gives a precise measure of the black hole’s pull, allowing researchers to calculate its mass. The researchers also used data gathered by a telescope at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas.
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Friday, January 14, 2011
At 6.6 Billion Suns, The Largest Black Hole Ever Measured Could Swallow Our Solar System
January 13, 2011 - Popular Science
A universal heavyweight champion was crowned this morning at the 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle: A giant black hole weighing a staggering 6.6 billion suns accepted the title of the most massive black hole for which a precise mass has been determined.
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Previous estimates of M87’s black hole mass registered at some 3 billion suns, still 1,000 times the size of the Milky Way’s welterweight black hole. The new measurements were acquired using the adaptive optics capabilities on the 26.6-foot Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, which can compensate for the distorting effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This allowed astronomers to gauge just how fast the stars in M87 are orbiting the black hole, and from that they could determine the mass.
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A universal heavyweight champion was crowned this morning at the 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle: A giant black hole weighing a staggering 6.6 billion suns accepted the title of the most massive black hole for which a precise mass has been determined.
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Previous estimates of M87’s black hole mass registered at some 3 billion suns, still 1,000 times the size of the Milky Way’s welterweight black hole. The new measurements were acquired using the adaptive optics capabilities on the 26.6-foot Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, which can compensate for the distorting effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This allowed astronomers to gauge just how fast the stars in M87 are orbiting the black hole, and from that they could determine the mass.
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Picture of the Day: The Heaviest Black Hole Ever Recorded
January 14, 2011 - The Atlantic
At more than six trillion times the mass of the sun, nearby galaxy M87 is the most massive galaxy in the local universe. Using the Gemini North telescope, which sits on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, astronomer Karl Gebhardt and his team measured the speed of stars moving past the galactic center to estimate the mass of the black hole situated in the middle of M87.
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At more than six trillion times the mass of the sun, nearby galaxy M87 is the most massive galaxy in the local universe. Using the Gemini North telescope, which sits on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, astronomer Karl Gebhardt and his team measured the speed of stars moving past the galactic center to estimate the mass of the black hole situated in the middle of M87.
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The Solar System Swallower
January 13, 2011 - Science Now
Even among cosmic heavyweights, the black hole in the core of galaxy M87 stands out. New observations reveal that the object weighs in at a whopping 6.6 billion suns, making it the most massive black hole for which a precise mass has ever been measured. "It could swallow our solar system whole," says astronomer Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas, Austin, who presented the new results here Wednesday afternoon at the 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
Previous estimates put the mass of the black hole at some 3 billion times the mass of our sun, still nearly 1000 times as massive as the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. To compensate for the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere and obtain a more accurate measurement, Gebhardt and colleagues utilized the adaptive optics capability of the 8.1-meter Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. That enabled the astronomers to measure how fast stars orbit the black hole, which lies some 50 million light-years away, in the direction of the constellation Virgo. From the observed speeds—up to almost 500 kilometers per second—they could then calculate the hole's mass. "It's the most accurate mass estimate ever obtained" for a supermassive black hole, says Gebhardt.
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Even among cosmic heavyweights, the black hole in the core of galaxy M87 stands out. New observations reveal that the object weighs in at a whopping 6.6 billion suns, making it the most massive black hole for which a precise mass has ever been measured. "It could swallow our solar system whole," says astronomer Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas, Austin, who presented the new results here Wednesday afternoon at the 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
Previous estimates put the mass of the black hole at some 3 billion times the mass of our sun, still nearly 1000 times as massive as the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. To compensate for the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere and obtain a more accurate measurement, Gebhardt and colleagues utilized the adaptive optics capability of the 8.1-meter Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. That enabled the astronomers to measure how fast stars orbit the black hole, which lies some 50 million light-years away, in the direction of the constellation Virgo. From the observed speeds—up to almost 500 kilometers per second—they could then calculate the hole's mass. "It's the most accurate mass estimate ever obtained" for a supermassive black hole, says Gebhardt.
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Thursday, January 13, 2011
Astronomers "weigh" heaviest known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood
January 13, 2011 - Astronomy.com
Astronomers led by Karl Gebhardt from The University of Texas at Austin have measured the most massive known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood by combining data from a giant telescope in Hawaii and a smaller telescope in Texas. The result is a mass of 6.6 billion Suns for the black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. This enormous mass is the largest ever measured for a black hole using a direct technique. Given its massive size, M87 is the best candidate for future studies to actually "see" a black hole for the first time, rather than relying on indirect evidence of their existence as astronomers have for decades.
Gebhardt led a team of researchers using the 8-meter Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to probe the motions of stars around the black hole in the center of the massive galaxy M87.
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Astronomers led by Karl Gebhardt from The University of Texas at Austin have measured the most massive known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood by combining data from a giant telescope in Hawaii and a smaller telescope in Texas. The result is a mass of 6.6 billion Suns for the black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. This enormous mass is the largest ever measured for a black hole using a direct technique. Given its massive size, M87 is the best candidate for future studies to actually "see" a black hole for the first time, rather than relying on indirect evidence of their existence as astronomers have for decades.
Gebhardt led a team of researchers using the 8-meter Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to probe the motions of stars around the black hole in the center of the massive galaxy M87.
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Obese Black Hole Lurks in Our Backyard
January 12, 2011 - Discovery
The black hole inside a neighboring galaxy, known as M87, is obese and filled with the equivalent of 6.6 billion of our suns, according to new measurements.
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Gebhardt and colleagues used a light-splitting spectrograph on the eight-meter (26-foot) Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to measure the speeds of stars orbiting M87's black hole. The motions are directly related to the gravitational pull of the black hole. The data was then used to calculate the black hole's mass.
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The black hole inside a neighboring galaxy, known as M87, is obese and filled with the equivalent of 6.6 billion of our suns, according to new measurements.
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Gebhardt and colleagues used a light-splitting spectrograph on the eight-meter (26-foot) Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to measure the speeds of stars orbiting M87's black hole. The motions are directly related to the gravitational pull of the black hole. The data was then used to calculate the black hole's mass.
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Astronomers weigh heavy black hole neighbour
January 13, 2011 - Astronomy Now
By making detailed measurements of the black hole that lies in nearby galaxy M87, astronomers have found that its mass is equivalent to 6.6 billion Suns.
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The Near-Infrared Field Spectrograph (NIFS) on the 8-metre Gemini North telescope was used by Karl Gebhardt and Joshua Adams of The University of Texas to track the motions of stars careening around the black hole with ten times greater resolution than previous studies have allowed. Meanwhile, University of Texas graduate student Jeremy Murphy used the VIRUS-P instrument on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the university's McDonald Observatory to probe the outer reaches of the galaxy known as the dark halo due to the presence of dark matter.
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By making detailed measurements of the black hole that lies in nearby galaxy M87, astronomers have found that its mass is equivalent to 6.6 billion Suns.
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The Near-Infrared Field Spectrograph (NIFS) on the 8-metre Gemini North telescope was used by Karl Gebhardt and Joshua Adams of The University of Texas to track the motions of stars careening around the black hole with ten times greater resolution than previous studies have allowed. Meanwhile, University of Texas graduate student Jeremy Murphy used the VIRUS-P instrument on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the university's McDonald Observatory to probe the outer reaches of the galaxy known as the dark halo due to the presence of dark matter.
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Scientists size up monster black hole
January 12, 2011 - MSNBC
Astronomers say they've come up with the definitive estimate for the mass and size of the biggest black hole in our celestial neighborhood, using a method that can now be applied to even bigger monsters beyond.
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"That had a large uncertainty," Gebhardt told me. Today, Gebhardt and his colleagues announced a new estimate that's based on high-accuracy observations from the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii as well as the McDonald Observatory. The bottom line: M87's black hole is equal to 6.6 billion solar masses, plus or minus 400 million solar masses.
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Astronomers say they've come up with the definitive estimate for the mass and size of the biggest black hole in our celestial neighborhood, using a method that can now be applied to even bigger monsters beyond.
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"That had a large uncertainty," Gebhardt told me. Today, Gebhardt and his colleagues announced a new estimate that's based on high-accuracy observations from the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii as well as the McDonald Observatory. The bottom line: M87's black hole is equal to 6.6 billion solar masses, plus or minus 400 million solar masses.
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Astronomers Weigh Heaviest Black Hole Yet
January 12, 2011 - Wired
The black hole in the nearby galaxy M87 weighs in at 6.6 billion suns, making it the local universe’s heavyweight champ.
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To pin down the monstrous black hole’s mass, Gebhardt and his colleagues used the Gemini North telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii to measure the speeds of stars zipping past the galactic center.
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The black hole in the nearby galaxy M87 weighs in at 6.6 billion suns, making it the local universe’s heavyweight champ.
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To pin down the monstrous black hole’s mass, Gebhardt and his colleagues used the Gemini North telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii to measure the speeds of stars zipping past the galactic center.
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Neighboring black hole puts on weight
January 12, 2011 - Science News
Astronomers have determined with high precision that the black hole at the heart of the nearby galaxy M87 weighs the equivalent of 6.6 billion suns. The finding makes the monster the most massive known in Earth’s cosmic neighborhood and the heaviest black hole measured so far using the orbits of stars.
...
To weigh M87’s black hole, Gebhardt’s team used precision optics on the Gemini North telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea to measure the speeds of groups of stars orbiting the galaxy’s core at different distances. The speedup of stars closest to the center gives a precise measure of the black hole’s pull, allowing researchers to calculate its mass. The researchers also used data gathered by a telescope at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas.
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Monday, January 10, 2011
In Distant Galaxies, New Clues to Century-Old Molecule Mystery
January 10, 2011 - ScienceDaily
In a study that pushes the limits of observations currently possible from Earth, a team of NASA and European scientists recorded the "fingerprints" of mystery molecules in two distant galaxies, Andromeda and the Triangulum. Astronomers can count on one hand the number of galaxies examined so far for such fingerprints, which are thought to belong to large organic molecules, says the team's leader, Martin Cordiner of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Figuring out exactly which molecules are leaving these clues, known as "diffuse interstellar bands" (DIBs), is a puzzle that initially seemed straightforward but has gone unsolved for nearly a hundred years. The answer is expected to help explain how stars, planets and life form, so settling the matter is as important to astronomers who specialize in chemistry and biology as determining the nature of dark matter is to the specialists in physics.
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But to study DIBs, researchers need to do much more than see that the galaxy is there. They have to pick out individual stars within the galaxy, and only a few telescopes worldwide are powerful enough to gather sufficient light for that. (The team used the Gemini Observatory's telescope in Hawaii.) This is why most DIBs found so far have been in the Milky Way.
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In a study that pushes the limits of observations currently possible from Earth, a team of NASA and European scientists recorded the "fingerprints" of mystery molecules in two distant galaxies, Andromeda and the Triangulum. Astronomers can count on one hand the number of galaxies examined so far for such fingerprints, which are thought to belong to large organic molecules, says the team's leader, Martin Cordiner of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Figuring out exactly which molecules are leaving these clues, known as "diffuse interstellar bands" (DIBs), is a puzzle that initially seemed straightforward but has gone unsolved for nearly a hundred years. The answer is expected to help explain how stars, planets and life form, so settling the matter is as important to astronomers who specialize in chemistry and biology as determining the nature of dark matter is to the specialists in physics.
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But to study DIBs, researchers need to do much more than see that the galaxy is there. They have to pick out individual stars within the galaxy, and only a few telescopes worldwide are powerful enough to gather sufficient light for that. (The team used the Gemini Observatory's telescope in Hawaii.) This is why most DIBs found so far have been in the Milky Way.
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