M87’s Supermassive Black Hole: Spinning at 80% of Cosmic Speed Limit and Devouring Matter at an Unprecedented Rate!

The supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87 is a true cosmic giant. Weighing in at 6.5 billion times the mass of our Sun, it has become the focus of intense scientific study. Recent research using images from the Event Horizon Telescope reveals just how quickly this black hole spins and how much material it pulls in.

This black hole is spinning at about 80% of the fastest speed possible in the universe. To visualize this, imagine the inner edge of its accretion disk zipping around at 14% the speed of light—around 42 million meters per second! Scientists figured this out by examining a bright spot in the black hole’s image. This glow results from a phenomenon called relativistic Doppler beaming, where material moving towards us looks brighter than material moving away. By analyzing this brightness, researchers could measure the spin speed.

The study also uncovered exciting details about the black hole’s magnetic field patterns, which guide how matter spirals inward. They found that matter is falling into the black hole at an impressive rate of about 70 million meters per second—roughly 23% the speed of light.

Interestingly, researchers estimate that M87’s black hole consumes between 0.00004 and 0.4 solar masses of material each year. While this number seems high, it’s relatively modest for such a massive black hole, operating well below what’s known as the “Eddington limit.” This means it is currently in a quieter feeding phase.

A key finding from this research is the relationship between the energy from the infalling material and the mighty jets that shoot out from M87. These jets, visible for thousands of light-years, are fueled by the black hole’s feeding process, which connects active black holes to the formation of their galaxies.

This study pushes forward our understanding of how supermassive black holes function. Before this, estimates of M87’s spin varied widely, from 0.1 to 0.98. Now, it seems clear that the spin is solidly on the high end, if not approaching the theoretical maximum of 0.998.

As astronomy advances with new telescopes and imaging techniques, M87’s black hole will remain vital for exploring gravity, spacetime, and the extremes of physics. Each new insight helps us unravel the influence these cosmic giants have on galaxies and, ultimately, the fate of the universe.

For more on this groundbreaking research, check out the original study by Universe Today.

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supermassive black hole, black hole, Event Horizon Telescope