A Quasar Goes Dark Without Warning
- 9 years ago
Astronomers are puzzled after a quasar has unexpectedly gone dark.
In a case somewhat akin to a cosmic whodunit, an entire quasar has gone dark and scientists aren't sure where it is.
According to a press release issued by Penn State, "The black hole is still there, but the super-bright quasar it powered by swallowing the gas in its vicinity has disappeared over the past ten years, as it appears to have swallowed all the gas nearby."
Michael Eracleous, part of an international team of astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, or SDSS, noted, "The change in the emission from the gas over a doze
In a case somewhat akin to a cosmic whodunit, an entire quasar has gone dark and scientists aren't sure where it is.
According to a press release issued by Penn State, "The black hole is still there, but the super-bright quasar it powered by swallowing the gas in its vicinity has disappeared over the past ten years, as it appears to have swallowed all the gas nearby."
Michael Eracleous, part of an international team of astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, or SDSS, noted, "The change in the emission from the gas over a doze