The image above may look like a photo with thousands of stars, but what you are seeing is much more special. Each of those white dots is a supermassive black hole. (Image via LOFAR/ LOL Survey/ ASTRON).
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The image above may look like a photo with thousands of stars, but what you are seeing is much more special. Each of those white dots is a supermassive black hole. (Image via LOFAR/ LOL Survey/ ASTRON).
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?fit=800%2C451&ssl=1″ class=”size-full wp-image-24245″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=800%2C451&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”800″ height=”451″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?w=1640&ssl=1 1640w, https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=1024%2C577&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=768%2C433&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=1536%2C865&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/ensedeciencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EdeCiencia-Aterrador-P.jpg?resize=1200%2C676&ssl=1 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px” data-recalc-dims=”1″/>
The image may look totally normal, as it appears to contain thousands of stars, but they are actually supermassive black holes. Surprisingly it is a map of the sky showing more than 25,000 supermassive black holes. Each black hole is located in a different distant galaxy.
An international group of astronomers published in early 2021 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the sky map showing 25,000 black holes, ranking as the most detailed ever produced in the field of so-called low radio frequencies. The map is the result of 256 hours of observations of the northern sky, using data from the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) over Europe. This interferometric network consists of some 20,000 radio antennas, distributed in 52 stations spread over nine European countries.
“This is the result of many years of working with incredibly difficult data. We have had to invent new methods to convert radio signals into images of the sky.” said in a statementthe director of the investigation Francesco de Gasperin.
Currently, PROMISES it is the largest radio telescope operating at the lowest frequencies that can be observed from Earth. Unlike single-dish telescopes, LOFAR is a multipurpose sensor network, with an innovative network and computing infrastructure that can handle extremely large volumes of data.
Because this is not a space telescope, but rather makes its observations from the surface, it has significant challenges to overcome. The main one is the ionosphere that surrounds the Earth – a layer of free electrons that clouds telescopes – making it difficult to track black holes.
“It’s similar to trying to see the world while submerged in a swimming pool. When you look up, the waves in the pool water deflect light rays and distort your vision.” Explain el coautor Reinout van Weeren (Observatorio de Leiden).
The frequencies that penetrate the ionosphere can vary depending on atmospheric conditions. In order to successfully complete the task, the team used supercomputers that ran algorithms to correct for ionospheric interference every four seconds. Throughout the 256 hours that LOFAR was observing the sky, there are many corrections.
When you hear “25,000 supermassive black holes,” chances are a lot of them and a lot of space come to mind, and they do. However, the map covers only 4% of the northern half of the sky. The astronomers plan to continue until they have mapped the entire northern sky. In addition to supermassive black holes, the map also provides information about the large-scale structure of the universe, among other things.
Further investigation may allow the study of more than 1 million low-frequency radio spectra, providing unique insights into physical models for galaxies, active nuclei, galaxy clusters, and other fields of research. “This experiment represents a unique attempt to explore the ultralow-frequency sky with high angular resolution and depth,” they wrote the authors of the article.
The study is detailed in an article published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
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