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Edited Chandra Space Telescope/XMM-Newton image of a black hole pulsating (or at least the material/radiation around the black hole) in the galaxy GSN 069. Animated GIF version - to view animation, click on View all sizes and select Original size.
Original caption: A supermassive black hole is blasting out X-rays about every nine hours, according to data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton, as described in our latest press release. This indicates that this black hole, containing about 400,000 times the mass of our Sun, is consuming significant amounts of material about three times per day.
The main panel of this graphic is a visible light image taken by the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) around the galaxy known as GSN 069, located in the center of the image. The inset gives a time-lapse of Chandra data taken over a period of about 20 hours on February 14 and 15, 2019, centered on the X-ray source in the middle of GSN 069. The sequence runs in a loop to show that the X-ray brightness of the source changes regularly and dramatically over the Chandra observation. Three X-ray eruptions are observed. (Note that to clearly show the Chandra source is located in GSN 069, the size of the box in the center of the DSS image is about ten times larger than the Chandra field in the inset.)
XMM-Newton was the first to observe this phenomenon in GSN 069 with the detection of two bursts on December 24, 2018. Researchers then followed up with more XMM-Newton observations on January 16 and 17, 2019, and found five outbursts. The Chandra observations less than a month later — on February 14 and 15 — revealed an additional three outbursts.
These repetitive outbursts are evidence that the supermassive black hole at the center of GSN 069, located 250 million light years from Earth, is consuming about four Moons' worth of material about three times a day. That's equivalent to almost a million billion billion pounds going into the black hole per feeding.
While scientists had previously found two "stellar-mass" black holes (that weigh about 10 times the Sun's mass) occasionally undergoing regular outbursts before, this behavior has never been detected from a supermassive black hole until now.
During the outbursts the X-ray emission detected by Chandra becomes about 20 times brighter than during the quiet times. The temperature of gas falling towards the black hole also climbs, from about one million degrees Fahrenheit during the quiet periods to about 2.5 million degrees Fahrenheit during the outbursts. The temperature of the latter is similar to that of gas found around most actively growing supermassive black holes.
The origin of this hot gas has been a long-standing mystery because it appears to be too hot to be associated with the disk of infalling matter surrounding the black holes. Although its origin is also a mystery in GSN 069, the ability to study a supermassive black hole where hot gas repeatedly forms then disappears may provide important clues.
The Chandra data were crucial for this study because they were able to show that the X-ray source is located in the center of the host galaxy, which is where a supermassive black hole is expected to be. The combination of data from Chandra and XMM-Newton implies that the size and duration of the black hole's meals have decreased slightly, and the gap between the meals has increased. Future observations will be crucial to see if the trend continues.
A paper describing these results, with lead author Giovanni Minuitti (ESA's Center of Astrobiology in Spain), appeared in the September 11, 2019 issue of the journal Nature. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science and flight operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Versión 6, somos las historias que contamos, de la plataforma Teatro en borrador por Paola Irún. Presentada el 12 de agosto de 2011 en el CCPA. Con Natalia Alvarenga, Alicia Guerra, Alicia Martin, Silvio Rodas y Víctor Sosa Traverssi.
IMAGE INFO
- Viewpoint is looking north-north-east.
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SOURCE INFO
- Original very faded & scratched postcard is from family memorabilia collection.
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PROCESS INFO
- Digitized using a Canon CanoScan 8800F flat-bed scanner
- Processed using the latest AI powered software [denoise, enlargement, enhancement].
Alex found Jeremy's boardgame Heroquest, and wanted to know if he could play with the pieces (its like D&D, but with action figures and a board instead of pen and paper). So we let him go nuts. He assembled a zombie army, that was controled by mario and luigi and the RUBIX CUBE O' DOOM, as he called it.
I decided to upload the monochrome version of this shot. Also I took just one of the shots I used to create the color version (that was composed of 2 shots, actually), and I think this version is better (sharper) then the previous.. I left a bit more light and I DID edit myself a bit to make it look a bit more creepy (ohoh!)!
Used Silver Efex Pro to convert to monochrome and further edited in The GIMP.
Let me know, I'm all new to this kind of work haha :)
(•) – The-Lockheed-Martin-HC-130-P-Hercules-The-Combat-K.I.N.G-1-I-is an extended-range version of the C-130 Hercules transport. HC-130 crews provide expeditionary, all weather personnel recovery capabilities to our Combatant Commanders and Joint/Coalitions partners worldwide.
Mission
The mission of the HC-130P/N "King" is to rapidly deploy to austere airfields and denied territory in order to execute , all weather personnel recovery operations anytime...anywhere. King crews routinely perform high and low altitude personnel & equipment airdrops, infiltration/exfiltration of personnel, helicopter air-to-air refueling, and forward area refueling point missions.
When tasked, the aircraft also conducts humanitarian assistance operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical evacuation, casualty evacuation, noncombatant evacuation operations, and, during the Space Shuttle program, space flight support for NASA.
Features
Modifications to the HC-130P/N are improved navigation, threat detection and countermeasures systems. The aircraft fleet has a fully-integrated inertial navigation and global positioning systems, and night vision goggle, or NVG, compatible interior and exterior lighting. It also has forward-looking infrared, radar and missile warning receivers, chaff and flare dispensers, satellite and data-burst communications.
The HC-130 can fly in the day; however, crews normally fly night at low to medium altitude levels in contested or sensitive environments, both over land or overwater. Crews use NVGs for tactical flight profiles to avoid detection to accomplish covert infiltration/exfiltration and transload operations. To enhance the probability of mission success and survivability near populated areas, crews employ tactics that include incorporating no external lighting or communications, and avoiding radar and weapons detection.
Drop zone objectives are done via personnel drops and equipment drops. Rescue bundles include illumination flares, marker smokes and rescue kits. Helicopter air-to-air refueling can be conducted at night, with blacked out communication with up to two simultaneous helicopters. Additionally, forward area refueling point operations can be executed to support a variety of joint and coalition partners.
Background
The HC-130P/N is the only dedicated fixed-wing combat search and rescue platform in the Air Force inventory. The 71st and 79th Rescue Squadrons in Air Combat Command, the 550th Special Operations Squadron in Air Education and Training Command, the 920th Rescue Group in Air Force Reserve Command and the 106th Rescue Wing, 129th RQW and 176th Wing in the Air National Guard operate the aircraft.
First flown in 1964, the aircraft has served many roles and missions. It was initially modified to conduct search and rescue missions, provide a command and control platform, in-flight-refuel helicopters and carry supplemental fuel for extending range and increasing loiter time during search operations.
In April 2006, the continental U.S. search and rescue mission was transferred back to Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, Va. From 2003 to 2006, the mission was under the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Previously, HC-130s were assigned to ACC from 1992 to 2003. They were first assigned to the Air Rescue Service as part of Military Airlift Command.
They have been deployed to Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey in support of operations Southern and Northern Watch, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. HC-130s also support continuous alert commitments in Alaska and the Horn of Africa.
General Characteristics
Primary function: Rescue platform
Contractor: Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
Power Plant: Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engines
Thrust: 4,910 shaft horsepower, each engine
Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (40.4 meters)
Length: 98 feet, 9 inches (30.09 meters)
Height: 38 feet, 6 inches (11.7 meters)
Weight: 83,000 pounds (37,648 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 73,000 pounds (10,724 gallons)
Payload: 30,000 pounds (13,608 kilograms)
Speed: 289 miles per hour (464 kilometers per hour) at sea level
Range: beyond 4,000 miles (3,478 nautical miles)
Ceiling: 33,000 feet (10,000 meters)
Armament: countermeasures/flares, chaff
Crew: Three officers (pilot, co-pilot, navigator) and four enlisted (flight engineer, airborne communications specialist, two loadmasters). Additional crewmembers include a Guardian Angel team consisting of one combat rescue officer and three pararescuemen
Unit Cost: $77 million (fiscal 2008 replacement cost)
Initial operating capability: 1964
Inventory: Active force, 13; ANG, 13; Reserve, 10