• Question: Have you got a favourite black hole?

    Asked by Bethany to Peter on 7 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Peter Boorman

      Peter Boorman answered on 7 Nov 2016:

      Hi Bethany,
      I think my favourite black hole has to be the one I’ve been looking at with X-ray radiation recently. It’s name is ‘IC 3639’ – not the most catchy name I admit, but is one of the most hidden black holes in the ‘local Universe’ (by ‘local Universe’ I mean approximately a few hundred thousand light years!)
      There are various possible reasons why such a black hole could be so hidden behind a thick layer of gas and dust, but scientists still aren’t sure what makes some black holes so ‘obscured’ as compared to others. Some theories even think this thick gas/dust ‘smog’ could be ‘feeding’ the black hole, and providing a source of all the hot emission we say at different wavelengths!
      Peter

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