 |
|
Sophisticated telescope camera debuts with peek at nest of black holes
September 16, 2009GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Less than two months after they inaugurated the world's largest telescope, University of Florida astronomers have used one of the world's most advanced telescopic instruments to gather images of the heavens.
A team led by astronomy professor Stephen Eikenberry late last week captured the first images of the cosmos ever made with a UF-designed and built camera/spectrometer affixed to the Gemini South telescope in Chile. The handful of "first light" images include a yellow and blue orb-like structure that depicts our Milky Way galaxy, home to thousands of black holes - including, at its core, a "supermassive" black hole thought to be as massive as 4 million suns put together.
"We plan to use this instrument to provide the first accurate tracking of the growth and evolution of this black hole over the last 4 billion years," Eikenberry said.
Installation of the instrument, called FLAMINGOS-2, caps a seven-year, $5 million effort involving 30 UF scientists, engineers, students and staff. Once the instrument is scientifically tested - a process expected to last around six months - it will support a range of new science. Astronomers will use FLAMINGOS-2 (FLAMINGOS is short for the Florida Array Multi-object Imaging Grism Spectrometer) to hunt the universe's first galaxies, view stars as they are being born, reveal black holes and investigate other phenomena.
"Achieving first light is a great achievement and important milestone," said Nancy Levenson, deputy director of the Gemini Observatory.
The 8-meter Gemini South telescope in the Chilean Andes is one of only about a dozen 8- to 10-meter telescopes worldwide. All require technologically sophisticated instruments to interpret the light they gather. FLAMINGOS-2 "sees" near-infrared or heat-generated light beyond the range of human vision. It can reveal objects invisible to the eye, such as stars obscured by cosmic dust, or objects so far away they have next to no visible light
The instrument joins other near-infrared imagers installed on other large telescopes. But it is unusual in its ability to also act as a spectrometer, dividing the light into its component wavelengths. Astronomers analyze these wavelengths to figure out what distant objects are made of, how hot or cold they are, their distance from Earth, and other qualities.
Uniquely, FLAMINGOS-2 can take spectra of up to 80 different objects simultaneously, speeding astronomers' hunt for old galaxies, black holes or newly forming stars and planets.
"At a cost of $1 per second for operating the Gemini telescope, it will make a huge gain in the scientific productivity and efficiency of the observatory," Eikenberry said. "What would take an entire year previously can now be done in four nights. This is a real game changer."
Astronomers compete heavily for time on the world's largest telescopes, often waiting months or years for the opportunity to make observations. Eikenberry said his FLAMINGOS-2 agreement with Gemini South entitles him to at least 25 nights of observations. He will use the time to contribute to three large studies, or surveys, of the sky headed by UF astronomers.
The first is aimed at learning more about the thousands of black holes and neutron stars at the Milky Way's center. The second will probe the formation and evolution of galaxies across time, while the third will investigate the birth of new stars.
Levenson said the Gemini telescopes are well-known for their excellent image quality. With its wide large field of view and ability examine dozens of objects at once, FLAMINGOS-2 is a good match with the Gemini South telescope.
"The center of our Milky Way galaxy is a very dusty, very crowded environment, so infrared measurements and the ability to separate the fine details of the different stars and other objects are very important," she said.
FLAMINGOS-2's debut comes less than two months after UF astronomers helped inaugurate the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the world's largest telescope, in Spain's Canary Islands. UF, which owns a 5 percent share of the 10-meter telescope, is the only participating U.S. institution.
The Gemini Observatory is the lead sponsor of FLAMINGOS-2 and the source of the $5 million for design and construction. The original FLAMINGOS, a smaller prototype that pioneered the approach used successfully in the larger version, was designed and built by the late UF astronomy professor Richard Elston. Elston was at work on the early stages of FLAMINGOS-2 when he died of cancer in 2004 at age 43.
The Gemini Observatory, which operates twin 8-m telescopes located in Chile in Hawaii, is an international collaboration supported in part by the National Science Foundation.
University of Florida
Installation of the instrument, called FLAMINGOS-2, caps a seven-year, $5 million effort involving 30 UF scientists, engineers, students and staff. Once the instrument is scientifically tested - a process expected to last around six months - it will support a range of new science. Astronomers will use FLAMINGOS-2 (FLAMINGOS is short for the Florida Array Multi-object Imaging Grism Spectrometer) to hunt the universe's first galaxies, view stars as they are being born, reveal black holes and investigate other phenomena.
"Achieving first light is a great achievement and important milestone," said Nancy Levenson, deputy director of the Gemini Observatory.
The 8-meter Gemini South telescope in the Chilean Andes is one of only about a dozen 8- to 10-meter telescopes worldwide. All require technologically sophisticated instruments to interpret the light they gather. FLAMINGOS-2 "sees" near-infrared or heat-generated light beyond the range of human vision. It can reveal objects invisible to the eye, such as stars obscured by cosmic dust, or objects so far away they have next to no visible light
The instrument joins other near-infrared imagers installed on other large telescopes. But it is unusual in its ability to also act as a spectrometer, dividing the light into its component wavelengths. Astronomers analyze these wavelengths to figure out what distant objects are made of, how hot or cold they are, their distance from Earth, and other qualities.
Uniquely, FLAMINGOS-2 can take spectra of up to 80 different objects simultaneously, speeding astronomers' hunt for old galaxies, black holes or newly forming stars and planets.
"At a cost of $1 per second for operating the Gemini telescope, it will make a huge gain in the scientific productivity and efficiency of the observatory," Eikenberry said. "What would take an entire year previously can now be done in four nights. This is a real game changer."
Astronomers compete heavily for time on the world's largest telescopes, often waiting months or years for the opportunity to make observations. Eikenberry said his FLAMINGOS-2 agreement with Gemini South entitles him to at least 25 nights of observations. He will use the time to contribute to three large studies, or surveys, of the sky headed by UF astronomers.
The first is aimed at learning more about the thousands of black holes and neutron stars at the Milky Way's center. The second will probe the formation and evolution of galaxies across time, while the third will investigate the birth of new stars.
Levenson said the Gemini telescopes are well-known for their excellent image quality. With its wide large field of view and ability examine dozens of objects at once, FLAMINGOS-2 is a good match with the Gemini South telescope.
"The center of our Milky Way galaxy is a very dusty, very crowded environment, so infrared measurements and the ability to separate the fine details of the different stars and other objects are very important," she said.
FLAMINGOS-2's debut comes less than two months after UF astronomers helped inaugurate the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the world's largest telescope, in Spain's Canary Islands. UF, which owns a 5 percent share of the 10-meter telescope, is the only participating U.S. institution.
The Gemini Observatory is the lead sponsor of FLAMINGOS-2 and the source of the $5 million for design and construction. The original FLAMINGOS, a smaller prototype that pioneered the approach used successfully in the larger version, was designed and built by the late UF astronomy professor Richard Elston. Elston was at work on the early stages of FLAMINGOS-2 when he died of cancer in 2004 at age 43.
The Gemini Observatory, which operates twin 8-m telescopes located in Chile in Hawaii, is an international collaboration supported in part by the National Science Foundation.
University of Florida
Black Holes Current Events and Black Holes News RSSNew study confirms exotic electric properties of graphene
First, it was the soccer-ball-shaped molecules dubbed buckyballs. Then it was the cylindrically shaped nanotubes. Now, the hottest new material in physics and nanotechnology is graphene: a remarkably flat molecule made of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings much like molecular chicken wire.
Swift XMM-Newton Satellites Tune Into a Middleweight Black Hole
While astronomers have studied lightweight and heavyweight black holes for decades, the evidence for black holes with intermediate masses has been much harder to come by.
NASA's Fermi Telescope Detects Gamma-Ray From
Nearby galaxies undergoing a furious pace of star formation also emit lots of gamma rays, say astronomers using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
New Celestial Map Gives Directions for GPS
Many of us have been rescued from unfamiliar territory by directions from a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigator. GPS satellites send signals to a receiver in your GPS navigator, which calculates your position based on the location of the satellites and your distance from them.
Fermi telescope caps its first year with a glimpse of space-time
During its first year of operations, NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope mapped the extreme sky with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity.
New vista of Milky Way center unveiled
A dramatic new vista of the center of the Milky Way galaxy from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory exposes new levels of the complexity and intrigue in the Galactic center.
Invading black holes explain cosmic flashes
Black holes are invading stars, providing a radical explanation to bright flashes in the universe that are one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today.
Swift Makes Best-ever Ultraviolet Portrait of Andromeda Galaxy
In a break from its usual task of searching for distant cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet.
COES professor's 'metamaterials' research lands cover of international journal
Dr. Dentcho Genov, an assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering at Louisiana Tech University and a Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) Institute fellow, is featured on the cover of the most recent issue of Nature Physics, one of the most respected and prestigious physics journals in the world.
University of Nevada, Reno researcher uses 100,000 degree heat to study plasma
Using one of the greatest sources of radiation energy created by man, University of Nevada, Reno researcher and faculty member Roberto Mancini is studying ultra-high temperature and non-equilibrium plasmas to mimic what happens to matter in accretion disks around black holes.
More Black Holes Current Events and Black Holes News Articles
 |
Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (Commonwealth Fund Book Program) by Kip S. Thorne (Author), Stephen Hawking (Foreword) In this masterfully written and brilliantly informed work, Dr. Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, leads readers through an elegant, always human, tapestry of interlocking themes, answering the great question: what principles control our universe and why do physicists think they know what they know? Features an introduction by Stephen Hawking. |
 |
National Geographic: Monster Black Holes Starring: Michael Carroll Travel to the edge of space and beyond to discover natures ultimate abyss black holes. Explore where they are found, how they begin, and how it may be possible to harness and use the power they produce. In Monster Black Holes, scientists steadily piece together the complex dynamics of a black holes birth and are also examine the growth of a select few black holes to super massive proportions that dominate the centers of galaxies. As a monster black hole swallows everything in its path, it generates energy that shapes the universe around it in powerful ways. Journey into the heart of a black hole and explore what happens to matter when it falls into a black hole, and whether the Milky Way galaxy will one day come to an end when the black hole at the galaxys center explodes. |
 |
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Author) “One of today’s best popularizers of science.”—Kirkus Reviews Loyal readers of the monthly “Universe” essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson’s talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and childlike enthusiasm. Here Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining just what would happen to your body if you fell into one, while “Hollywood Nights” assails Hollywood’s feeble efforts to get its night skies right. Tyson is the world’s ... |
 |
Black Holes: And Other Bizarre Space Objects (Science Frontiers) by David Jefferis (Author) |
 |
The Black Hole Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Joseph Bottoms, Robert Forster, Roddy McDowall, Tommy McLoughlin Also With: Anthony Perkins (Primary Contributor), Maximilian Schell (Primary Contributor) THE CREW OF THE SPACESHIP PALAMINO STUMBLES ACROSS THE LOST SHIP USS CYGNUS HOVERING ON THE EDGE OF AN IMMENSE BLACK HOLE. ONCE ABOARD THEY FIND THE SHIP IS MANNED BY ROBOTS ITS ONLY HUMAN INHABITANT ONE DR HANS REINHARDT AN EMINENT SCIENTIST MISSING FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. |
 |
The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics by Leonard Susskind (Author) At the beginning of the 21st century, physics is being driven to very unfamiliar territory--the domain of the incredibly small and the incredibly heavy. The new world is a world in which both quantum mechanics and gravity are equally important. But mysteries remain. One of the biggest involved black holes. Famed physicist Stephen Hawking claimed that anything sucked in a black hole was lost forever. For three decades, Leonard Susskind and Hawking clashed over the answer to this problem. Finally, in 2004, Hawking conceded. THE BLACK HOLE WAR will explain the mind-blowing science that finally won out, and the emergence of a new paradigm that argues the world--this catalog, your home, your breakfast, you--is actually a hologram projected from the edges of... |
 |
Black Holes and Revelations by Muse In 2004, U.K. favorite Muse broke through in the U.S. with Absolution and major performances across America that won legions of new fans. In 2006, Muse takes a bold new step with Black Holes And Revelations, a powerful, upbeat epic album that takes the band’s music to a whole dimension. Once again co-produced by Rich Costey (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Muse incorporates influences from electronica and Prince to pure pop. The album is sure to be a revelation to those still unfamiliar with the 2005 Brit award winner for Best Live Act who headlines this summer’s Reading and Leeds festivals. |
 |
Black Holes Directed By: Gregory Zorzos Also With: Gregory Zorzos (Producer), Gregory Zorzos (Writer) In general relativity, a black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape. In this movie you can see this phenomenon form many sources. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
 |
Exploring Black Holes: Introduction to General Relativity by Edwin F. Taylor (Author), John Archibald Wheeler (Author) Makes a quick, directed thrust through general relativity and black holes. Brings preliminary insights concerning the history and structure of the Cosmos. DLC: General relativity (Physics) |
 |
An Introduction to Black Holes, Information And The String Theory Revolution: The Holographic Universe by Leonard Susskind (Author), James Lindesay (Author) Over the last decade the physics of black holes has been revolutionized by developments that grew out of Jacob Bekenstein’s realization that black holes have entropy. Steven Hawking raised profound issues concerning the loss of information in black hole evaporation and the consistency of quantum mechanics in a world with gravity. For two decades these questions puzzled theoretical physicists and eventually led to a revolution in the way we think about space, time, matter and information. This revolution has culminated in a remarkable principle called "The Holographic Principle", which is now a major focus of attention in gravitational research, quantum field theory and elementary particle physics. Leonard Susskind, one of the co-inventors of the Holographic Principle as well as one of... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |