观测显示两个超大黑洞即将相撞生成更大黑洞

两个超大质量的黑洞即将相撞，相撞后将形成一个更大、质量更重的黑洞。新浪科技讯北京时间10月9日消息，据美国《连线》杂志网站报道，观测显示两个超大质量的黑洞即将相撞。天文学家认为，两个黑洞相撞后将形成一个更大、质量更重的黑洞。图片是将最近钱德拉X射线天文望远镜观测到的新数据添加到先前哈勃太空望远镜捕捉到的一张图片上，合成而得到的。

　　这两个超大质量黑洞位于NGC 6240星系。NGC 6240距离地球约3亿光年远，位于蛇夫座，其实它是两个富含气体的螺旋星系正在“合并”的天体。几百万年前，这两个星系是分开的，相互在接近，进而开始合并。

　　在这个体系内，两个距离大约是3000光年的巨大黑洞正在向一起飘动。这两个超级质量黑洞在缓慢地螺旋落向共同的引力中心。天文学家推断，在1000万年到1亿年内，它们相互涡转而合并为一个黑洞。这种碰撞会释放出强烈的引力辐射波。而且黑洞与其周围的星系总质量之间有联系。当大的星系由某些小的星系合并而增长，它的超级质量黑洞也增长。

　　天文照片通常都是多张图片和多组数据合成而来的，以更生动地显示细节，展示宇宙的神奇壮美。这种照片就是由钱德拉天文望远镜的X光射线数据和哈勃太空望远镜的可见光数据合成而来的。图中绿色和蓝色影像，来自哈伯望远镜在可见光波段所拍摄的恆星和云气。这张照片是如此惊人，以至于让人怀疑它是不是艺术家画出来的。

This image of NGC 6240 contains new X-ray data from Chandra (shown in red, orange, and yellow) that has been combined with an optical image from the Hubble Space Telescope originally released in 2008. In 2002, Chandra data led to the discovery of two merging black holes, which are a mere 3,000 light years apart. They are seen as the bright point-like sources in the middle of the image.

Scientists think these black holes are in such close proximity because they are in the midst of spiraling toward each other -- a process that began about 30 million years ago. It is estimated that they holes will eventually drift together and merge into a larger black hole some tens or hundreds of millions of years from now.

Finding and studying merging black holes has become a very active field of research in astrophysics. Since 2002, there has been intense interest in follow-up observations of NGC 6240, as well as a search for similar systems. Understanding what happens when these exotic objects interact with one another remains an intriguing question for scientists.

The formation of multiple systems of supermassive black holes should be common in the universe, since many galaxies undergo collisions and mergers with other galaxies, most of which contain supermassive black holes. It is thought that pairs of massive black holes can explain some of the unusual behavior seen by rapidly growing supermassive black holes, such as the distortion and bending seen in the powerful jets they produce. Also, pairs of massive black holes in the process of merging are expected to be the most powerful sources of gravitational waves in the Universe.

Image Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/C.Canizares, M.Nowak; Optical: NASA/STScI

这个即将，咱们是看不到了，咱们的孙子的孙子也没希望，估计要到人类灭绝的那一天才差不多吧。

天文学其实是最大的考古学，距离地球三亿光年，也就意味着这是三亿年前发生的事，那里大概已经生米煮成熟饭了，只是我们还要再等上一亿年才能看到。

3亿……如果在我们看到的时候人家又撞了，我们再过3亿年再会看到……
很久很久以前……
Long Long ago……
英语老师是多么伟大的一个职业啊……

我们无法看见。所谓观测到的，是黑洞的影响。其引力作用可以被观测。本身是没办法观测的。