NASA scientists have identified the smallest known black hole in the universe. At 3.8 times the mass of our Sun and estimated at only 15 miles in diameter, the black hole known as XTE J1650 is also close to the smallest size thought to be theoretically possible for such an object. This information has only been discovered using a new technique that links the mass of the Black Hole to the X-rays being radiated from the surrounding discs of hot gases that are being dragged inwards by the object’s massive gravitational forces. By measuring the regular pattern created by these X-rays (known as quasi-periodic oscillation, or QPO), the mass of the black hole can be established with X-rays are emitted on a shorter timescale for smaller black holes. The research was conducted by Nikolai Shaposhnikov and Lev Titarchuk at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. [NASA]
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