Where Did That Black Hole Come From?

Medium-size black holes actually do exist, according to the latest findings from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, but scientists had to look in some unexpected places to find them. The previously undiscovered black holes provide an important link that sheds light on the way in which black holes grow. Even more odd, these new black holes were found in the cores of glittering, 'beehive' swarms of stars called globular star clusters, which orbit our Milky Way and other galaxies.

The black hole in globular cluster M15 is 4, 000 times more massive than our Sun.

Credit:

NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo0218b
Type:Observation
Release date:17 September 2002, 18:00
Size:585 x 865 px

About the Object

Name:Messier 15, NGC 7078
Type:Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Black Hole
Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Globular
Distance:35000 light years
Constellation:Pegasus
Category:Quasars and Black Holes

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
251.3 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
448.0 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):21 29 58.19
Position (Dec):12° 9' 52.34"
Field of view:0.97 x 1.43 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 10.4° right of vertical


Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
B
439 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2
Optical
V
547 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2
Optical
OIII
502 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2
Optical
H-alpha
656 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2
Infrared
I
814 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2

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