Pushing the Limit: Black Hole Spins at Phenomenal Rate (Jeanna Bryner)

Created by : Francis Goodwin View profile

Nov. 20, 2006 -- X-ray vision has brought astronomers closer than ever to completely characterizing a black hole, a place where strange things happen.

Astronomers measured the spinning speed of three black holes, finding that one rotates at a breakneck 950 times per second, nearing its theoretical rotation limit of 1,150 spins a second. The black hole lies within the constellation Aquila (the Eagle) about 35,000 light-years from Earth.

The finding represents an important step toward understanding these invisible objects.