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Submission + - Another large Black hole in "our" Galaxy (arxiv.org)

RockDoctor writes: A recent paper on ArXiv reports a novel idea about the central regions of "our" galaxy.

Remember the hoopla a few years ago about radio-astronomical observations producing an "image" of our central black hole — or rather, an image of the accretion disc around the black hole — long designated by astronomers as "Sagittarius A*" (or SGR-A*)? If you remember the image published then, one thing should be striking — it's not very symmetrical. If you think about viewing a spinning object, then you'd expect to see something with a "mirror" symmetry plane where we would see the rotation axis (if someone had marked it). If anything, that published image has three bright spots on a fainter ring. And the spots are not even approximately the same brightness.

This paper suggests that the image we see is the result of the light (radio waves) from SGR-A* being "lensed" by another black hole, near (but not quite on) the line of sight between SGR-A* and us. By various modelling approaches, they then refine this idea to a "best-fit" of a black hole with mass around 1000 times the Sun, orbiting between the distance of the closest-observed star to SGR-A* ("S2" — most imaginative name, ever!), and around 10 times that distance. That's far enough to make a strong interaction with "S2" unlikely within the lifetime of S2 before it's accretion onto SGR-A*.)

The region around SGR-A* is crowded. Within 25 parsecs (~80 light years, the distance to Regulus [in the constellation Leo] or Merak [in the Great Bear]) there is around 4 times more mass in several millions of "normal" stars than in the SGR-A* black hole. Finding a large (not "super massive") black hole in such a concentration of matter shouldn't surprise anyone.

This proposed black hole is larger than anything which has been detected by gravitational waves (yet) ; but not immensely larger — only a factor of 15 or so. (The authors also anticipate the "what about these big black holes spiralling together?" question : quote "and the amplitude of gravitational waves generated by the binary black holes is negligible.")

Being so close to SGR-A*, the proposed black hole is likely to be moving rapidly across our line of sight. At the distance of "S2" it's orbital period would be around 26 years (but the "new" black hole is probably further out than than that). Which might be an explanation for some of the variability and "flickering" reported for SGR-A* ever since it's discovery.

As always, more observations are needed. Which, for SGR-A* are frequently being taken, so improving (or ruling out) this explanation should happen fairly quickly. But it's a very interesting, and fun, idea.

Submission + - Surado, formerly Slashdot Japan, is closing at the end of the month. (srad.jp) 1

AmiMoJo writes: Slashdot Japan was launched on May 28, 2001. On 2025/03/31, it will finally close. Since starting the site separated from the main Slashdot one, and eventually rebranded as "Surado", which was it's Japanese nickname.

Last year the site stopped posting new stories, and was subsequently unable to find a buyer. In a final story announcing the end, many users expressed their sadness and gratitude for all the years of service.

Comment Re:CFAA (Score 1) 56

In fact, Elon Musk broke far more serious laws and is getting away with it. Rules for thee and not for me, much?

All Aaron Schwartz did was download something using campus WiFi and shared it with other like-minded people. And this is against an industry notorious for abusing access and information to scientific researchers. The various claims that Aaron Schwartz was a violent information criminal is a LIE. There are far worse abuses performed DAILY by the billionaires. They’re called Facebook, X and Tik Tok.

Comment Re:Why don't all rich in LA have roof sprinklers? (Score 2) 150

Yeah so...it's a bit more expensive than that. However, I think that you're talking about the people's homes not the city budget. And in this instance, I would suspect that you are partially correct.

These folks are largely the same folks that:

1. Put through Prop 13.
2. Demanded that modern building codes not be applied to them.
3. Demanded low insurance rates or exemptions from insurance

These are the same folks that have now lost everything. I feel for them, I really do...but I cannot pity them. For example, the lady that was screaming at the Governor - she had two homes that she lost. Many of us have already been through losses and got absolutely no help. FEMA will buy you a hotel for a few days and that's it. Then the joke's on you - if your home insurance isn't large enough or if you don't qualify for loans because outside of the rich, who does? And all of this because a few people didn't feel like paying for their portion of city maintenance.

So now many of us are forced to be renters - and that's the pipeline that these multi-million dollar homes have generated. These people leveraged their homes and put many of us into renters situations. And now they're complaining?

Thou dost protest too much

Comment Re:What a tool. (Score 1) 268

Nicolas Cage in Lord of War said it best: There's nothing more expensive for an arms dealer than peace ... There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11? ... You know who's going to inherit the Earth? Arms dealers. Because everyone else is too busy killing each other. That's the secret to survival. Never go to war. Especially with yourself.

Comment Re:Yes (Score 1) 155

You know...this. And also, here's the bit that always gets me.

I get a call from my friend in Portland. He's young (24). His badge wasn't working and no one had the key for the building. They were calling around trying to find someone with the key. I said...Just call a locksmith. It never occurred to him.

So anyway - there are other ways of transacting that doesn't involve your favorite currency.

Comment Not the first time...not going to be the last (Score 2) 116

We are so quick to blame computers. But I recall paper maps used to have 'errors' that drove people into buildings and lakes. But we've been so focused on technology that we have forgotten the lessons of the past. If it can go wrong, it will.

Even a few years back, cars were getting stuck in the mud due to a maps error - despite passing large signs stating that they should not go this way. The problem isn't so much that the technology (or even paper maps) is wrong. The problem is that critical thinking and observation skills are no longer taught.

And, it seems, the next US administration will go to great lengths to not teach those very skills that could save lives.

Comment Re:Thar She Blows (Score 1) 58

I agree with you. I really do not understand the hate on Slashdot for a new financial - money really - programming language. Bitcoin is sorta like C whereas Ethereum is more like C++. It's possible to implement a useful financial enterprise using Ethereum -- with complete transparency.

But ... it seems like the majority of people on Slashdot (and a few others) are intent on sticking with opaque financial models. And that's okay too. But the hate is deep on here.

In truth, US Dollars is the currency of choice for anyone committing crimes. Banks are frequently guilty of money laundering and ICIJ has a very large trove of data that documents financial crimes. But all of this is ignored the moment someone whispers, "Bitcoin" on here. Suddenly, all of the hate is directed to this new language.

And -- it's now been around for ten years and they are still predicting the death of Bitcoin. Even as the majority of new Financial Degree graduates are quitting Wall Street and going to CryptoCurrency and Blockchain firms, they are still parroting blatant lies that would make anyone blush.

For an industry dedicated to proving the truth (because Logic is required at all times when programming), I find it astounding that lies can still be pervasive.

Comment The more things change...The more stays same. (Score 4, Informative) 132

Printing Press: Jonathan Swift complained about political fake news in 1710 in his essay “The Art of Political Lying"
Radio: Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938.
Printing Press (v2 - IMAGES!!): “Dewey Defeats Truman.” 1948
TV: Infomercials. Need I say more? Amirite?
Early Internet: DMHO. 2004
TV v2: Plane crashes. Bing Dang Ow. 2013
Internet (with AI!!!): This

Remind me again where the fire is?

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