A professor in Abu Dhabi has found a rare black hole at the centre of a small and distant galaxy.
It was discovered in the IC 750 galaxy – about 45 million light years away – and is unique because of its intermediate size, which is difficult to find.
The discovery could provide an insight into the mysteries of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.
Black holes form when a massive star collapses and starts to suck in nearby stars – not even light can escape their pull.
There is limited data about supermassive and small, or stellar, black holes, and scientists have been trying to learn more about intermediates.
Prof Ingyin Zaw, an associate professor of physics at NYU Abu Dhabi, revealed the black hole is 100 times too small relative to the galaxy it lives in.
This is unique as black holes and galaxies are known to grow equally together.
“One of the questions my research touches on is: are there any black holes in the intermediate range?
“Even though the black holes themselves are much smaller than their host galaxies, somehow it’s like they know about each other’s mass,” Prof Zaw said.
The mass of a black hole is usually measured in solar mass, which is the mass of the Sun. A small black hole has a mass of between about three and 10 solar masses and is formed when a star explodes, while a supermassive black hole is huge, with millions to billions of solar masses, and is thought to involve many stars.
But not much is known about how intermediates form.
Prof Zaw’s findings raise questions of whether intermediate black holes in small galaxies grow differently than supermassive and small ones.
Her research was funded by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal.
In 2019, an image of a black hole was revealed by scientists for the first time, specifically of a supermassive one in the M87 galaxy.
It had a mass more than six billion times that of the Sun, and the picture helped to prove astronomers’ theories about gargantuan black holes.
Prof Zaw and her team used the very long baseline array – 10 telescopes spread out between Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands that act as one big telescope – to obtain radio observations of the low-mass galaxy.
They studied the water maser emissions, which are audio frequencies of electromagnetic waves, to understand the black hole’s mass. These were being emitted from clouds of water vapour that were orbiting the black hole.
The team is now carrying out follow-up studies of the black hole to improve the measurement of its mass and determine how much material is falling into it.
They are also searching for water emissions from other small galaxies.
Once complete, it is hoped the study will shed more light on mysteries of how black holes are formed.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
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Name: Qyubic
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Founder: Namrata Raina
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The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
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Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
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Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
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3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are NFTs?
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You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
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Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
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Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
