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- Portrait of a Doomed Asteroid
A new study provides a possible explanation of mysterious X-ray flares detected by the Chandra K-ray Observatory for several years in the region of Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*. The study suggests a cloud around Sgr A*, a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, which contains hundreds of trillions of asteroids and comets that have been stripped from their parent stars. The flares occur when asteroids of six miles or larger in radius are consumed by the black hole. An asteroid that undergoes a close encounter with another object, such as a star or planet, can be thrown into an orbit headed towards Sgr A*. If the asteroid passes within about 100 million miles of the black hole, roughly the distance between the Earth and the sun, it is torn into pieces by the tidal forces from the black hole. These fragments would then be vaporized by friction as they pass through the hot, thin gas flowing onto Sgr A*, similar to a meteor heating up and glowing as it falls through Earth's atmosphere. A flare is produced and eventually the remains of the asteroid are swallowed by the black hole. Image Credit: Illustrations: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
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Daily Archives: March 27, 2008
Sappy Song of the Day
Today’s sappy patriotic song of the day is brought to you by Five for Fighting. Having spent more than my fair share of five minute intervals in the penalty box over the years, I figure I can’t go wrong with … Continue reading
Posted in Heroes
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US Lawmakers and Foreign Intelligence Agents
My friend the Watch Cat always winds up putting up thought provoking posts. In this case she points out a clear effort on the part of Sadam Hussein’s Intelligence services to sway US policy by targeting individuals in the United … Continue reading
Posted in Counter Intelligence
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Radar Trap Defense
Here is another little story that has been floating out there for a while. Top this for a speeding ticket Two California Highway Patrol Officers were conducting speeding enforcement on I-15, just north of the Marine Corps Air Station at … Continue reading
Posted in USMC
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