Milky Way's Black Hole Munches On Supercooked Gas!

[BrightQuark]

- as one headline catchily puts it!

 

 

Any videos or interesting articles on this spectacular event folks?

 

 

I have a BBC Horizon programme to watch on this, aired last night -- so that prompted me to open this thread. I haven't been able to skim every/all prior posts within Science. net, so apologies ahead if I double-up at any time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nb-

I still haven't quite got the hang of the site's cut and paste facility. I gather we have to save our files initially, and then upload using the tools below, as cut/paste directly into here is not possible?

Edited June 27, 2013 by BrightQuark

[Delbert]

Didn't understand the BBC program when it seemed to say that they are about to watch or observe a gas cloud being swallowed up by a black hole. Presuming 'swallowed up' means observing the cloud disappear through the even horizon, then I thought that such was not possible. Not possible because of what I understand to be time dilation. Time dilation whereby we on Earth would see the gas cloud get evermore fainter and slower as it approaches the even horizon. Such that as far as we can observe, it effectively takes forever to pass through the event horizon.

 

What it actually does (whatever that means!) is effectively masked from our gaze.

[EdEarl]

Maybe this BBC video from 6 days ago is it.

See BBC 3 min video of Munching

[Enthalpy]

Time dilation whereby we on Earth would see the gas cloud get evermore fainter and slower as it approaches the even horizon. Such that as far as we can observe, it effectively takes forever to pass through the event horizon.

Are you sure? I thought it would take forever as observed from the swallowed object, not as observed from Earth.

[D H]

Didn't understand the BBC program when it seemed to say that they are about to watch or observe a gas cloud being swallowed up by a black hole. Presuming 'swallowed up' means observing the cloud disappear through the even horizon, then I thought that such was not possible. Not possible because of what I understand to be time dilation. Time dilation whereby we on Earth would see the gas cloud get evermore fainter and slower as it approaches the even horizon. Such that as far as we can observe, it effectively takes forever to pass through the event horizon.

 

That is correct, but that isn't what the program is talking about. Keep in mind the target audience of the show.

 

The gas cloud is falling toward the black hole, not into it. The closest approach to the black hole is predicted to be about 2000 times the event horizon radius. Fragments of the cloud might break off and add to the accretion disk.

[Delbert]

 

That is correct, but that isn't what the program is talking about. Keep in mind the target audience of the show.

 

The gas cloud is falling toward the black hole, not into it. The closest approach to the black hole is predicted to be about 2000 times the event horizon radius. Fragments of the cloud might break off and add to the accretion disk.

The problem was I was trying to convey to a friend that we won't see it 'swallowed', but confronted with being told the program title was 'Swallowed'. And the comentary did seem to convey the swallowing aspect.

 

And bearing in mind this time dilation business, I did contemplate mentioning to the friend about what would we see looking back at Earth if we took a ride on said gas cloud. But I baulked at that one!

[D H]

Of course it did. Popular science shows oftentimes are bad science. It apparently has to be that way. Couple that people need to be entertained or they'll switch channels with the abysmally low knowledge of and interest in science in the general public and, well, this show is what you get. Bad as it was, the BBC did a good relatively good job here. At least they didn't have Brian Cox, Brian Greene, or Michio Kaku narrating. Or go to the equator and get pulled in by one of those water swirling down the drain hoaxes (the BBC fell for this hoax at least twice).

[GeeKay]

I am in most instances highly supportive of the BBC's Horizon documentaries - their occasional quirks not withstanding. I am also aware of the Beeb's need to present its science-based material in ways that are readily comprehensible to its target audience. Having stated this, I'm bound to admit that I found the recent Horizon prog about the Milky Way's SMBH to be dull, uninformative and (in places) cringingly pretentious. Possibly it counts as the worst Horizon prog I can ever recall watching. As an example of what a missed opportunity it turned out to be, I can only compare it to the marvellous BBC documentary about the Antikythera Machine. End of gripe.