Largest Ball Of Fire Yet Found In Universe

[brahmburgers]

Since there seems to be no forum topics for Science (or inventions/inventors/innovators for that matter), I thought to add this here:

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XMM-Newton Spots The Greatest Of Great Balls Of Fire

European Space Agency Date: June 13, 2006

Thanks to data from ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray satellite, a team of international scientists found a comet-like ball of gas over a thousand million times the mass of the sun hurling through a distant galaxy cluster over 750 kilometres per second.

It's a comet-like blob of gas about 5 million light-years long hurling through a distant galaxy cluster at nearly 1 000 kilometres per second. This colossal 'ball of fire' is by far the largest object of this kind ever identified.

The gas ball is about three million light years across, or about five thousand million times the size of our solar system. It appears from our perspective as a circular X-ray glow with a comet-like tail nearly half the size of the moon.

"The size and velocity of this gas ball is truly fantastic," said Dr Alexis Finoguenov, adjunct assistant professor of physics in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and an associated scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Extra-Terrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany. "This is likely a massive building block being delivered to one of the largest assembly of galaxies we know." The gas ball is in a galaxy cluster called Abell 3266, millions of light years from Earth, thus posing absolutely no danger to our solar system. Abell 3266 contains hundreds of galaxies and great amounts of hot gas that is nearly a hundred million degrees. Both the cluster gas and the giant gas ball are held together

by the gravitational attraction of unseen dark matter.

to see the image, go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/...60613082035.htm

......gives new meaning to the Jerry Lee Lewis song "Great Balls of Fire"

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Thai related how?

[aussiestyle1983]

Compaired to the Universe, we are nothing and do not even exist and one day all humans our planet will be gone and become a small peice of dust in the great big Universe................

[phibunmike]

Thai related how?

If it gets too close it will be Toxin's fault

[johnb]

Thai related or not - these numbers are mind numbing

Johnb

[Jonson83]

Thai related how?

Universe - Solar system - Earth - Thailand

[markg]

The interim government have decreed that this ball of fire was discovered by educated Farang people with telescopes.

With immediate effect, all foreigners will have to declare ownership, or not, of a telescope.

This can be done only at the immigration office in Bangkok in person, and with a notarized copy of the foreigners passport and an opticians report.

No. Wait a minute.

Not at immigration in Bangkok.

It will have to be done at the foreigners home Embassy or Consulate.

No, hang on............

At the foreigners seat of parlaiment.

In person.

Immediately.

You have been warned.

It's coming.............

[Goshawk]

"Today, a young man on acid, realised that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves..."

######.. i miss Bill Hicks

[PeaceBlondie]

Fun while it lasted. Not related to Thailand, teaching in Thailand, gay or sports in Thailand...