HLX-1
.jpg) ESO 243-49 (center) with a divergent HLX-1 (circled) |
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| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
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|---|---|
| Constellation | Phoenix[1] |
| Right ascension | 01h 10m 28.2s |
| Declination | -46° 04′ 22.2″[2] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 102-105 M☉ |
Hyper-Luminous X-ray source 1, commonly known as HLX-1, is an intermediate-mass black hole located in the galaxy ESO 243-49. The black hole was discovered by the Sydney Institute of Astronomy in 2009 and gained interest by the scientific community not only because of its evidence as a galactic remnant, but because it showed evidence as to how intermedia-mass black holes are formed.[3] HLX-1 is theorized to be a galactic remnant of a dwarf galaxy that was absorbed in a galactic collision with ESO 243-49.[4]
Discovery [edit]
The object was first observed in November of 2004, in which it was seen as a strong source of ultra-luminous radiation as a luminous point on the outskirts of the spiral galaxy ESO 243-49 and was cataloged as 2XMM J011028.1-460421, but nicknamed "HLX-1".[5] In 2009, a team of astronomers lead by Sean Farrell at the Sydney Institute of Astronomy in Sydney, Australia, while in collaboration with Mathieu Servillat of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, discovered HLX-1 to be a black hole. Farrell remarked, "The fact that there's a very young cluster of stars indicates that the intermediate-mass black hole may have originated as the central black hole in a very low-mass dwarf galaxy. The dwarf galaxy was then swallowed by the more massive galaxy."[3] In 2012, further analysis found that there was a small cluster of stars amassed around HLX-1, leading the researchers in Sydney and Cambridge to conclude that the black hole was once the galactic center of a dwarf galaxy, which was consumed by ESO 243-49.[6][7]
References [edit]
- ^ Beatty, Kelly (2009-07-03). "New Candidates for Midsize Black Holes". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ^ Farrell, Sean (2009-07-02). "An intermediate-mass black hole of over 500 solar masses in the galaxy ESO 243-49". Nature. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ^ a b Moskowitz, Chris (2012-02-16). "How a black hole survived the destruction of its galaxy". The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ Waugh, Rob (2012-02-15). "Star wars: Hubble captures remains of shredded galaxy around rare new kind of black hole". Daily Mail.
- ^ Ford, Matt (2009-07-02). "Odd Black Hole Is Last Survivor of Its Galaxy". Ars Technica.
- ^ Mann, Adam (2012-02-15). "Odd Black Hole Is Last Survivor of Its Galaxy". Wired News.
- ^ Grossman, Lisa (2012-02-17). "Astrophile: 'Missing link' black hole is stress eater". New Scientist. Reed Business Information.
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