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A super-massive black hole (SMBH) has been found lurking in an unexpected location – at the heart of an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy.... this is the smallest galaxy known to host a black hole.
"We've known for some time that many ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are a bit overweight. They just appear to be too heavy for the luminosity of their stars," says team member Steffen Mieske from the European Southern Observatory in Chile. "We had already published a study that suggested this additional weight could come from the presence of super-massive black holes, but it was only a theory. Now, by studying the movement of the stars within M60-UCD1, we have detected the effects of such a black hole at its center."
originally posted by: Heruactic
a reply to: Maxmars
Are Black holes not at the center of every Galaxy? What else could cause galaxies to look like water going down the drain?
Also, what is an "inactive" Black hole?
originally posted by: Heruactic
a reply to: Krazysh0t
But from the explanations so far, the only difference between active and inactive Black holes is whether or not there is something in proximity about to be pulled in further. In addition do we have a reference to a regular mass black hole or a small black hole? Chances are the black hole can only get so big until all new matter starts running off it to the north poles and turns into those enormous eruptions from galactic cores.
It could be possible that all black holes are not too powerful but have a reverse cascade effect on surrounding matter. Let's say a black hole only attracts 5-10% of the galaxy matter, that matter also has mass and gravity. As the stars and gases start gathering around the pull of the black hole, they pull in other objects gases themselves. The effect continues but with more-so in a weakening effect, where at the edge of our Galaxy, the new matter just clumps more inward.
But then we have the future merger of our galaxy and Andromeda. Do they just happen to be traveling on intersecting paths, or is the combined gravity reaches far enough to pull them together? Personally i think it could be both. Gravity would only need to reach out and intersect with the gravity of Andromeda, so the Gravitational field does not need to reach all the way, but rather 51%+ of the distance to interact with gravity from Andromeda. This argument is mute if our 2 galaxies are just on intersecting paths.
Super strong black holes are too scary and illogical for life, since it will "eat" everything up and nothing will be left very fast. Regular black holes that have a maximum limit to mass are favorable, because they would just be the the force that gathers otherwise scattered stars and solar systems close to each other and promote early explorations and contact between sentient life.
I am pretty cool with space stuff and pretty interested in it. But when it comes to Dark matter, black holes and galactic inflation that keeps speeding up, it just feels wrong. Math be damned it just does not compute.