Gigantic Fireball Spotted on Galactic Rampage
General123
13 Jun 2006
[url="http://www.theregister.com/2006/06/12/great_balls_of_fire/"]http://www.theregist..._balls_of_fire/[/url]
Err.....Goodness gracious...Great balls of fire
Quote
Astronomers have identified a massive comet-like structure - spanning a whopping three million light years - that is tearing through a distant galaxy cluster at more than 750 kilometres a second.
Yes, you read that right. A great ball of fiery gas*, some five thousand million times the size of the solar system. Fortunately, it isn't anywhere near Earth. The flaming gas-ball is in the Abell 3266 galaxy cluster, even more millions of light years away from us than it is across.
The fireball, which is the largest object of this kind ever identified, was spotted by stargazers using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-Ray telescope.
The researchers have produced an entropy map of the gas-ball, which allows them to pick out the relatively cold dense gas of the comet from the hotter gas of the galaxy cluster. Analysis of the data has revealed remarkable detail of the stripping of gas from the comet's core, ESA says, at a rate of about a Sun's mass, every hour.
The scientists who discovered the object describe it as "truly fantastic".
"In Abell 3266 we are seeing structure formation in action," said Professor Mark Henriksen, co-author of the results. "Dark matter is the gravitational glue holding the gas ball together. But as it races through the galaxy cluster, a tug-of-war ensues where the galaxy cluster eventually wins, stripping off and dispersing gas that perhaps one day will seed star and galaxy growth within the cluster."
Zurich-based researcher Dr. Francesco Miniati commented: "What interests astronomers is not just the size of the gas ball but the role it plays in the formation and evolution of structure in the universe." ®
*Please take note that considerable restraint has been exercised, and no references to 'great balls of fire' have been made in this article.
Related stories
Yes, you read that right. A great ball of fiery gas*, some five thousand million times the size of the solar system. Fortunately, it isn't anywhere near Earth. The flaming gas-ball is in the Abell 3266 galaxy cluster, even more millions of light years away from us than it is across.
The fireball, which is the largest object of this kind ever identified, was spotted by stargazers using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-Ray telescope.
The researchers have produced an entropy map of the gas-ball, which allows them to pick out the relatively cold dense gas of the comet from the hotter gas of the galaxy cluster. Analysis of the data has revealed remarkable detail of the stripping of gas from the comet's core, ESA says, at a rate of about a Sun's mass, every hour.
The scientists who discovered the object describe it as "truly fantastic".
"In Abell 3266 we are seeing structure formation in action," said Professor Mark Henriksen, co-author of the results. "Dark matter is the gravitational glue holding the gas ball together. But as it races through the galaxy cluster, a tug-of-war ensues where the galaxy cluster eventually wins, stripping off and dispersing gas that perhaps one day will seed star and galaxy growth within the cluster."
Zurich-based researcher Dr. Francesco Miniati commented: "What interests astronomers is not just the size of the gas ball but the role it plays in the formation and evolution of structure in the universe." ®
*Please take note that considerable restraint has been exercised, and no references to 'great balls of fire' have been made in this article.
Related stories
Err.....Goodness gracious...Great balls of fire
Sgt. Nuker
14 Jun 2006
That must have been incredible to see. Kudos to the guy(s) that found it. Millions of light years long!?! :wow: This is the reason why space is so incredible.
Regards,
Major Nuker
Regards,
Major Nuker
Moosy Crisp
14 Jun 2006
Tis very far out.....I forgot that there was another galaxy for a moment
Moosy Crisp
14 Jun 2006
When flaming balls of gas equals an alien armada, Ray Charles would have to have been my grandmother.
spiderspag
14 Jun 2006
Imagine what such a great ball of flaming gas would do if Earth passed through it.
The_Hunter
14 Jun 2006
spiderspag, on 14 Jun 2006, 04:51, said:
Imagine what such a great ball of flaming gas would do if Earth passed through it.
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it doesn't realy mather if it would happen you wouldn't feel anything of it at all it would be over so fast that you wouldn't even experince pain.
Ion Cannon!
14 Jun 2006
Yep, all your blood would boil and you brain would explode. long before the ball of gas even reached us, due to the heat. That would have been so cool to see a huge ball of fire 3 million light years in lennght, thats huge.
Mathias
14 Jun 2006
I wonder how it initally got accelerated. Maybe it was flung through space by the drag outside the event horizon of a massive black hole?
Whitey
14 Jun 2006
it will hit earth
and we will die.
That things pretty huge... to humans. Within space, its likely just another small component.
and we will die.
That things pretty huge... to humans. Within space, its likely just another small component.
Slightly Wonky Robob
14 Jun 2006
i want to know how the hell did people not see that till now... 3 million light years!!!!
Sgt. Nuker
14 Jun 2006
Space is so vast Bob. It's possible to miss things that are "millions of light-years large/wide/long". Consider the fact that our universe is approximately 14-15 billion years long/wide. A few million years is a small portion of that, which would make it easy to miss something like that fireball.
Regards,
Major Nuker
Regards,
Major Nuker
Slightly Wonky Robob
14 Jun 2006
yeah i know....
it just sounds rediculous the size of it and its only just been spotted (although it is like a needle in a haystack
)
it just sounds rediculous the size of it and its only just been spotted (although it is like a needle in a haystack
)
Sgt. Nuker
15 Jun 2006
The funny thing of it all is the fact that there are probably more of those fireballs floating around in space, waiting for us to "discover" them. There may even be more oddities like that great ball of fire....it's anyone's guess.
Regards,
Major Nuker
Regards,
Major Nuker
Hobbesy
15 Jun 2006
Space goes on forever and ever so there is no reason to explore it farther than a couple of solar systems from the one we live in is my opinion. To belive there are no other life forms in a never ending cosmos is impossible to me.
Though I belive their is some sort of alien life form out there it probably has no UFOs.
Edited by tictac, 15 June 2006 - 02:16.
Though I belive their is some sort of alien life form out there it probably has no UFOs.
Edited by tictac, 15 June 2006 - 02:16.
Slightly Wonky Robob
15 Jun 2006
IMO,i think that space is infinate, if so then there is an infinate number of planets.... therefore there is an infinate nummber of planets with lif on and an infinate number of planets without life on. I'm going to stop there before i confuse myself :wahhhhhaa:
Overdose
15 Jun 2006
Sephiroth is using the Super Nova spell
we're doomed >_<!
Sig quoted for awesomeness.
Kudos to you.
Edited by Overdose, 15 June 2006 - 17:24.
we're doomed >_<!
AllStarZ, on 13 Jun 2006, 23:31, said:
FOOLS! IT'S AN ALIEN ARMADA!
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sig quoted for awesomeness.
Kudos to you.
Edited by Overdose, 15 June 2006 - 17:24.
DreadNot
15 Jun 2006
Bob, on 15 Jun 2006, 05:25, said:
IMO,i think that space is infinate, if so then there is an infinate number of planets.... therefore there is an infinate nummber of planets with lif on and an infinate number of planets without life on. I'm going to stop there before i confuse myself :wahhhhhaa:
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You can't split infinite in half. I know what you're getting at though. I personally think there isn't an infinite number of planets, just uncountable.
Overdose
15 Jun 2006
So in theory there's an end to the universe?
What lies in there? xP
I was discussing this with a friend of mine a few years ago, and we somewhat agreed that if the limit was crossed we'd just return to the opposing end. What if there were more universes? The human race might never fully explore ours and the thoughts of multiple universes is simply mind blowing.
Edited by Overdose, 15 June 2006 - 22:25.
What lies in there? xP
I was discussing this with a friend of mine a few years ago, and we somewhat agreed that if the limit was crossed we'd just return to the opposing end. What if there were more universes? The human race might never fully explore ours and the thoughts of multiple universes is simply mind blowing.
Edited by Overdose, 15 June 2006 - 22:25.
