NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope have been used to study a cluster of stars, nicknamed “Nikhuli," that may be acting as a black hole "delivery system."
Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart
Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart
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TechTranscript
00:00Visit Chandra's Beautiful Universe, NGC 4424
00:10Astronomers may have witnessed a galaxy's black hole delivery system in action.
00:16A new study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope
00:23outlines how a large black hole may have been delivered to the spiral galaxy NGC 4424 by another, smaller galaxy.
00:34NGC 4424 is located about 54 million light years from Earth in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster.
00:43The main panel shows a wide field view, about 45,000 light years wide, of this galaxy in optical light from Hubble.
00:52The center of this galaxy is expected to host a large black hole, estimated to contain a mass between 60,000 and 100,000 suns.
01:03Astronomers examining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory found an elongated object, which they determined is a cluster of stars.
01:13They refer to this object as Nikuli, a name relating to the Tulini festive period of celebrating and wishing for a rich harvest.
01:23This name is taken from the Sumi language from the Indian state of Nagaland.
01:28The Chandra data shows a point source of X-rays.
01:32The researchers determined Nikuli is likely the center of a small galaxy that has had most of its stars stripped away as it collides with the larger galaxy NGC 4424.
01:45Nikuli has also been stretched out by gravitational forces as it falls towards the center of NGC 4424, giving it an elongated shape.
01:56Currently, Nikuli is about 1,300 light years from the center of NGC 4424, or about 20 times closer than the Earth is to the Milky Way's giant black hole.
02:10After considering other possibilities, the researchers determined that these results imply that Nikuli is likely acting as a delivery system for NGC 4424's supply of black holes, in this case bringing along a massive one.
02:28If the center of NGC 4424 contains a massive black hole, Nikuli's massive black hole should end up orbiting it.
02:39The separation of the pair should then shrink until gravitational waves are produced, and the two massive black holes merge with each other.
02:49The division of the pair should remain black holes in its less than prominence and a different size of the product of NGC 4424.
02:51The one inch of the pair should then shrink until the upper-spotone is unknown, the two thickets were reached only for their personal noise from the ground.
02:53The five-spotone has been replaced by the Pirates of the Air, and the two large-spotone is marked by the male-spotone.
02:55The two large-spotone has been changed with the current picture and the four-spotone was marked as a traditional thing called the lange-spotone.
02:57The two large-spotone was made by the partner with the player.
02:59The two large-spotone has been changed.
03:01The line-spotone has been changed as an old-spotone, and the two large-spotone may have had a long-spotone.