Universe  ID: 13321

Rare Black Hole Event Seen by Satellites and Ground-based Telescopes Live Shots

Observatories Collaborate to Catch Star-Gobbling Black Hole
NASA’s TESS Sees Its First Star-destroying Black Hole
Rare Black Hole Event Sheds Light on a Cosmic Mystery

For the first time, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) watched a black hole shred apart and devour a distant star from the moment the violent event began. This phenomenon only happens about once every 10,000 to 100,000 years in a galaxy the size of our own Milky Way!

So what is a black hole and how hard is it to watch one destroy a star? Chat with scientists on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT to find out how they work together to spot these rare cosmic events and what we’re learning about them. Skype interviews are also available. HERE’s a link to the FEATURE STORY. And HERE for a version of it in Spanish.

Scientists know black holes are integral to the life cycle of galaxies, but they’re incredibly difficult to study. Thanks to identification and coordination by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae [ASAS-SN, pronounced like “assassin”] and observations by TESS and other missions, including NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, astrophysicists are a step closer to understanding some of the most mysterious objects in the universe.

Schedule an Interview
To schedule an interview please fill out our form: https://forms.gle/rH7Ct9LWqETGB1gC7
Interview location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

Satellite Coordinates
HD Satellite Coordinates for G17-K18/Lower: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Lower| 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12051.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio Embedded

Media contacts for partner institutions:
Natasha Metzler / Carnegie Institution, Strategic Communications/ nmetzler@carnegiescience.edu/ (202) 939-1142
Laura Arenschield / The Ohio State University, Research Communications / Arenschield.2@osu.edu

For more information check out @NASAUniverse and #BlackHoleWeek

Questions? Contact michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov or 301-286-0918.
 

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Credits

Producers:
Courtney A. Lee (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Michelle Handleman (USRA)
Isabelle Yan (NASA/GSFC)
Madison Arnold (NASA/GSFC)
Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
Chris Smith (USRA)

Scientists:
Brad Cenko (NASA/GSFC)
Knicole Colon (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Writer:
Jeanette Kazmierczak (University of Maryland College Park)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13321

This item is part of these series:
Narrated Movies
Astrophysics Presentations
Black Hole Week

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Black Hole
SVS >> Astrophysics
SVS >> Swift
NASA Science >> Universe
SVS >> TESS