RX J1242−11
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Galaxy
RX J1242.6−1119A (often abbreviated RX J1242−11) is an elliptical galaxy located approximately 200 megaparsecs (about 650 million light-years) from Earth.
Supermassive black hole
According to current interpretations of X-ray observations made by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton, the center of this galaxy is a 100 million solar mass supermassive black hole which was observed to have tidally disrupted a star (in 1992 or shortly before).[1] The discovery is widely considered to be the first strong evidence of a supermassive black hole ripping apart a star and consuming a portion of it.[2]
Location in the sky
The location of RX J1242.6-1119A, as seen from Earth, is less than one degree to the northeast of Messier 104, the Sombrero Galaxy.
References
External links
- Komossa's Object
- Chandra X-Ray Observatory Photo Album – February 18, 2004
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ NASA: "Giant Black Hole Rips Apart Unlucky Star"