Now THIS is awesome (black hole at the center of our galaxy feeding on...)

[Ichinisan]

Black hole in the center of our galaxy feasting on an enormous gas cloud:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/03/black-hole-snack-time/

 

[rsutoratosu]

What are those blue things moving around ? also whats that count on bottom left corner ? 20xx AD

 

[master_shake_]

Damn nature you scary!

 

[SlitheryDee]

That sucks.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

What are those blue things moving around ? also whats that count on bottom left corner ? 20xx AD

the blue things are stars - they're moving too fast to orbit anything but a black hole. the counter is the time within the simulation.

 

[rsutoratosu]

thanks.. i watch it work, wasnt sure if there was an audio track to it

 

[twinrider1]

It really is amazing.

 

[SKORPI0]

Computer simulation. :whiste:

As far as being able to actually witness material slip beyond the black hole’s event horizon and disappear forever, that will have to wait for another day. Because it’s so far away, no current telescope has the resolution to see that well in the galactic center. Astronomers are trying to coordinate different telescopes right now as part of the Event Horizon Telescope project, which could image the area just around the supermassive black hole. But the earliest that this project will be up and running is 2016. Perhaps some blobs from G2 will get torn off and be hurtling right into the black hole at this time?
“If we’re lucky we could see the effects of special and general relativity,” said Genzel, talking about the Event Horizon Telescope. “But probably not with this cloud.”

 

[Ichinisan]

Computer simulation. :whiste:

Yeah. The video says so at the start. Still, we know it's actually happening too.