Ordinary (or baryonic) matter is relatively rare in the universe, and there seems to be a huge chunk of it missing. After 20 years of scouring the sky, astronomers using the ESA’s XMM-Newton observatory have now found clues to this missing matter hiding in intergalactic gas.
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Astronomers at Australian National University have spotted a black hole so bright that were it in our home galaxy, it would outshine all the stars in the sky. This supermassive monster also happens to be the fastest-growing black hole ever seen, devouring the equivalent of the Sun every two days.
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At a distance of about 13 billion lightyears, the most distant supermassive black hole known so far has been spotted. That incredible distance means it dates back to when the first stars blinked on, which raises the question of how a black hole that big arose so soon after the universe began.
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The brightest galaxy ever discovered may be in the process of tearing itself apart. WISE J224607.57-052635.0 (W2246-0526) is believed to be brighter than 300 trillion Suns, however the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy could also be responsible for a drastic transformation.
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A team of scientists from China and Arizona have spotted the brightest quasar from the early universe, centered on a black hole 12.8 billion light years away and as bright as 420 trillion suns.
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Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) have discovered an alignment of supermassive black holes located billions of light-years apart. The team delved deeper, finding that the quasars aren’t just linked to each other, but are also aligned with the large-scale structure of the Universe.
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Honda's new 750cc NM4 Vultus is a bold departure from tradition with anime/manga styling, a "fighter pilot" feet-forward riding position, an ultra-low seat and advanced electronic rider assistance to make it as easy to ride as a scooter. The motorcycle is evolving!
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It has been difficult to find evidence that the Universe is largely composed of a cosmic web consisting of narrow filaments, but astronomers have now photographed a segment of a cosmic filament glowing due to irradiation from a nearby quasar.
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Our knowledge of the large-scale structure of the Universe continues to take shape. Moving forward requires attempts to squeeze subtle information from huge data sets, which can prove a dicey exercise. A case in point are the largest known structures in the Universe – large quasar groups.
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The Gaia mission to map a billion stars in the Milky Way has been delayed for about two months by the European Space Agency (ESA). X-band transponders used in other satellites have begun to fail, so the ESA is replacing those modules prior to launching late in December.
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