Orion nebula may contain a black hole

[Cath]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap121006.html

Looks like Wales

[JulianO]

Interesting! That's pretty big size outside of the centre of galaxies.

[ollypenrice]

One explanation for the creation of Barnard's Loop involves successive supernovae near the Trapezium. This might tie in nicely?

Another note on the loop and on the Meissa nebulosity forming Orion's head. Both seem to me to be affected by particle winds or shock fronts coming in from the west (right on here.) What do you think?

Olly

[Ronnie67]

If there is a black hole in the Orion Nebula Cluster, it's unlikely that it's accreting much gas. So it won't emit many X-rays from its accretion disk, and it won't form jets strong enough for us to see. That's why the main test for its existence is the motion of stars in the very inner core of the cluster, which requires a higher degree of resolution than what's been done in the past.

[Ronnie67]

Ok, so let’s assume that this ONC black hole idea is true and that furthermore it provides an example of the way open star cluster forming dust/gas clouds of this size generally evolve in this galaxy and others. Just as stars are spoken of as having habitability zones, galaxies also have zones that are more conducive to having earthlike planets that can remain unaffected by some astronomical terminal disaster for immense periods of time. These areas have the right range of metals ejected from earlier supernova and such, but too many supernova, and there goes the neighborhood, so to speak. That being said, in terms of long term habitability for the earth, which would you prefer to have 1300 light-years away, an open cluster dispersing 40 O & B stars, all of whom are destined to pop at some point, or 10 OB stars and a 150 solar mass black hole 1300 light years away? We could call this the Goldilocks Principle; if choosing between ideas about how the universe works, the side more favorable to life as we know it may be more likely to be found to be true. Therefore I like the implications of the simulations Subr et al have ran, and I think that they might be on to something, now that Dr. Young has explained why the evidence for the black hole is so hard to find.

[sologuitarist61]

Cath !!!! Are you insinuating that Wales is a Black Hole - well !!!

[Cath]

Cath !!!! Are you insinuating that Wales is a Black Hole - well !!!

LOL

Not at all Richard

The shape of it does look like the shape of Wales though

[sologuitarist61]

It most certainly does

[Vince1963]

That's interesting stuff Cath... Lets hope it doesn't start chumping on those stars, we may be in firing line from the plasma jets. That wouldn't be good.