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Posted on Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.

U-M astronomers detect 'scream' of star sucked into black hole 3.9 billion light years away

By Kellie Woodhouse

672593main_Diagram_SwiftJ1644_QPO_nolabels.jpg

A rendering of matter being drawn into a black hole.

NASA

Two University of Michigan scientists detected the "scream" of a star as it was sucked into a black hole 3.9 billion light years away.

The researchers used orbiting X-ray telescopes to detect oscillating blips —which, if they could be heard, would sound like an ultra-low D-sharp tone— that are believed to have emanated from the star before it was sucked into a previously dormant black hole.

U-M astronomers Rubens Reis and Jon Miller led a team of researchers that detected the signals while exploring the event after it was discovered by scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

"You can think of it as hearing the star scream as it gets devoured, if you like," Miller said of the phenomenon in a media release.

According to the U-M astronomers, scientists had never before identified the screaming star blips from such a far away galaxy. The event occurred in the northern constellation Draco the dragon.

"Our discovery opens the possibility of studying orbits close to black holes that are very distant, and it could make it possible to study general relativity under extreme settings," Miller said in the media release.

Reis and Miller published a paper on the detection this week in the scholarly journal Science Express.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Comments

Major

Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 4:39 a.m.

With well over 200 billion galaxies out there, how many are sucking in stars and playing a "note"? The makings of a new instrument..the galaxaphone!

Not surprised

Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 9:47 p.m.

I'd like to hear it play

Linda Peck

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 10:06 p.m.

ah, the humanization of a star

Skyjockey43

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 5:55 p.m.

Star gets sucked up into a black hole and screams..... .....hate it when that happens

Madeleine Borthwick

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.

Cool story!! It does me a lot of good to occasionally get off the treadmill and as Jack Horkheimer would say, "keep looking up"(rest in peace, jack. I miss you.).

Orangecrush2000

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.

Maybe "The Scream" from Edvard Munch could also describe it?

smokeblwr

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.

I very much enjoyed the artwork.

Goober

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 11:41 a.m.

I can hear it now....... Help me! Help me! Ouch!

Halter

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 10:27 a.m.

This is a cool story... And typical of annarbordotcoms readership...only six comments since 99 percent of readers either didn't read it or didn't understand it; and your typical 3 or 4 snide comments...including a typical troll comment that ad to pulling heir personal political agenda. Make me embarrassed to thin ths is an otherwise educated college town.

Skyjockey43

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 5:58 p.m.

And equally typical of elitist self-involved inflated Ann Arbor egos who react with scorn and derision at the audacity of people who refuse to react to anything with the same amount of zeal as they do. Makes me embarrassed to think this is such a town overflowing with navel gazing smugness

Madeleine Borthwick

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 4:35 p.m.

halter, does your Ipad have spell check??

Halter

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 10:30 a.m.

Argh! Hate iPads autocorrect.... ...including a typical troll comment that had to pull in their personal political agenda. Makes me embarrassed to think this is an otherwise educated college town.

David Paris

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 2:04 a.m.

I don't know... it sounds like someone spent a lot of money on some research, and just had to come up with Something to justify it. I n O u t e r s p a c e N o O n e C a n H e a r Y o u S c r e a m !

JW

Tue, Aug 7, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.

Obviously David is someone who really understand how research gets funded--not.

jns131

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 2:15 p.m.

Thank you! I needed that giggle today.

Mohawk

Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 11:43 p.m.

very cool

Billy

Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 11:08 p.m.

Is it more than meets the eye?

belboz

Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.

If a Star Screams in the Universe Does any body hear The screaming Star. I guess so.