Rare Star Explosion Reveals Hidden Black Hole

[Keel M.]

Astronomers have spotted a rare X-ray star explosion near the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, revealing a previously unknown black hole munching on gas from a neighboring sun-like star.

NASA's Swift satellite made the cosmic find last month when it detected a new and rapidly brightening X-ray source a few degrees from the galactic center of the Milky Way. Astronomers identified the outburst as a short-lived bright X-ray nova, which is produced when a stream of gas rushes toward either a neutron star or a black hole. Unlike a supernova, which is the explosive death of a star, novas are smaller explosions that do not completely destroy a star.

The black hole is thought to be 20,000 to 30,000 light-years away in the galaxy's inner region. Astronomers, who named the bright X-ray nova Swift J1745-26 after its coordinates in space, said witnessing such an event is rare.

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[Ashotep]

Interesting story, thanks for posting. Just wait until our sun explodes, hope I'm not around.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Just wait until our sun explodes, hope I'm not around.

Our sun won't explode, it's far too small to become a supernova.

[ranrod]

Our sun won't explode, it's far too small to become a supernova.

The expansion of the sun will be no better for Earth than if it exploded.

...Since black holes are virtually invisible, I was very afraid when young, that we were headed straight towards one and didn't know it.