Movie of stars orbiting a black hole

In summary, a timelapse video shows four stars in various orbits around a million-solar-mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The stars are seen moving in elliptical, parabolic, and hyperbolic paths. A high-resolution version can be found on the website of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, along with a discussion on the topic. Another video on the website shows RR Lyrae stars changing in brightness and color over a few hours. This video was featured as the astronomy picture of the day and was discovered through a link shared by Sean Carroll.
  • #1
marcus
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http://www.mpe.mpg.de/ir/GC/images/movie2003.mpg [Broken]

four stars photographed (timelapse over years) doing
various type orbits around the million-solar-mass hole at
the center of Milky

one doing elliptical, one kind of long skinny parabolic,
one on what looks like a one-shot hyperbolic flyby but
of course you can't be sure judging by eye alone

nice visual

thanks to Sean Carroll for flagging this

the high-resolution version (longer download) is at this page:
http://www.mpe.mpg.de/ir/GC/index.php [Broken]
and also there is some text discussion,
the page is by some astronomy Max Planck Institute


here also is a movie taken of RR Lyrae stars going thru their cycles
where they change brightness and color over the course of hours
it is eerie to see stars changing so actively
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/%7Ejhartman/M3_movies.html [Broken]
the moving image takes a few minutes to load but you can read about
Lyrae stars while it is loading
this movie was made today's "apod" astronomy picture of the day
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041012.html
but I found the original J. Hartman page of it, at the other URL, gave
more interesting details

again thanks to Sean Carroll for both links
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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  • #2
Very cool. Thank you.
 
  • #3
You always come up with great stuff, marcus. Thanks!
 
  • #4
interesting you should have your own forum LOL :rofl:
 

1. What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. It is formed when a massive star dies and collapses in on itself, creating a singularity with infinite density and zero volume.

2. How do stars orbit a black hole?

Just like planets orbit a star, stars can orbit a black hole. This is because the black hole's immense gravity warps the fabric of space-time, causing objects to move along the curved path. The closer a star is to the black hole, the faster it will orbit.

3. How are movies of stars orbiting a black hole created?

Scientists use telescopes and advanced computer simulations to capture and create movies of stars orbiting a black hole. The telescopes gather data and images of the black hole and its surrounding stars, while the simulations use complex mathematical equations to recreate the movements of these stars.

4. What can we learn from movies of stars orbiting a black hole?

Movies of stars orbiting a black hole can provide valuable insights into the behavior and effects of black holes. They can help scientists understand the dynamics of gravity and the structure of space-time near a black hole. They can also provide evidence to support theories and models about the formation and evolution of black holes.

5. Are there any dangers to studying black holes?

Studying black holes can be dangerous as these objects have incredibly strong gravitational forces that can pull and stretch objects apart. However, scientists use remote sensing techniques and do not physically approach black holes, making it a relatively safe process. Additionally, studying black holes can help us gain a better understanding of the universe and its workings.

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