Black Hole in 'Mirachs Ghost' Galaxy Hints at How It Was Born

Credit: Cardiff University Astronomers zoom in on black hole with one of the lowest masses ever observed in nearby "ghost" galaxy. "On the left is shown a color composite Hubble Space Telescope image of the centre of `Mirachs Ghost'. On the right is shown the new ALMA image of this same region, revealing the distribution of the cold, dense gas that swirls around this centre of this object in exquisite detail." A research team led by Cardiff University scientists say they are closer to understanding how a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is born thanks to a new technique that has enabled them to zoom in on one of these enigmatic cosmic objects in unprecedented detail. Scientists are unsure as to whether SMBHs were formed in the extreme conditions shortly after the big bang, in a process dubbed a 'direct collapse', or were grown much later from 'seed' black holes resulting from the death of massive stars. If the former method were true, SMBHs would be born with extremely large masses - hundreds of thousands to millions of times more massive than our Sun - and would have a fixed minimum size. If the latter were true then SMBHs would start out relatively small, around 100 times the mass of our Sun, and start to grow larger over time by feeding on the stars and gas clouds that live around them. Astronomers have...

Read More........→July 17, 2020

Half of COVID-19 cases may experience altered sense of taste: Study

MAY 28, 2020 WASHINGTON: Nearly 50 per cent of people who contract COVID-19 may experience altered or lost sense of taste, according to a review of studies. The review, published in the journal Gastroenterology, could provide diagnostic hint for clinicians who suspect their patients might have the deadly disease. "Earlier studies didn't note this symptom, and that was probably because of the severity of other symptoms like cough, fever and trouble breathing," said Muhammad Aziz, from the University of Toledo in the US. "We were beginning to note that altered or lost sense of taste were also present, not just here and there, but in a significant proportion," Aziz said. The research team analysed data from five studies conducted between mid-January and the end of March. Of the 817 patients studied, 49.8 per cent experienced changes to their sense of taste, according to the study. The researchers noted that the true prevalence could be even higher because some of the studies were based on reviews of patient charts, which may not have noted every symptom. "We propose that this symptom should be one of the screening symptoms in addition to the fever, shortness of breath and productive cough. Not just for suspected COVID-19 patients, but also for the general population to identify healthy carriers of the virus," Aziz said. Previous...

Read More........→July 17, 2020