A Deep Voice From Deep Space

Washington Post ^ | September 10, 2003 | Guy Gugliotta

[tang-soo]

Astronomers for the first time have detected sound waves emanating from a supermassive black hole, researchers said yesterday. With a frequency of 10 million years, the wave is the deepest "note" ever found in the universe -- a B-flat that is 57 octaves below a piano's middle C.

Researchers said heat generated by the sound wave may explain why gases moving within clusters of galaxies do not cool down to form more stars -- an anomaly that has puzzled astrophysicists for years.

[Calvin Locke]

True, but one shouldn't call this "sound".

Infra"C"?

From a radiation survey course I took so long ago, people were concened about the effects of ultrasound on human tissue, milliwatts per square centimeter, iirc.

Not that I'm personally worried, but watt is the quantification of power for this wave and its effects on man-in-the-Moon-marigolds?

Nanowatts per square AU? Square lightyear?

[clamboat]

I knew it wasn't a perfect vacuum, but I guess I didn't realize it was imperfect enough to allow sounds to travel millions of light years. I guess anything is possible with sensitive enough detectors or a loud enough noise.

Scientists on Earth did not directly detect this sound wave. Using X-ray emmissions, they observed the ripples the sound mad in the gas being squirted out of an area near a black hole.

From the article,

Chandra's photographs show three ripples moving outward from the black hole, after which they appear to dissipate, Fabian said. There could be several reasons for this, he added. The telescope may not be able to embrace a wider piece of the heavens and keep the ripples in focus, or the ripples may simply die out for lack of matter -- sound cannot travel in a vacuum.

[King Prout]

oh, boo! boo, I say!

[MaryFromMichigan]

Oh, yeah? Yeah?
If your'e so smart, how many weeks are there is a light year?

;)

[I'm ALL Right!]

bump

[lorrainer]

...and when they decoded it, they figured out that it was a really deep voice saying, "ZUUUUUULLLL"

Oh, Zulie, you nut!

[lonevoice]

Mine too. Very nicely juxtaposed with the article excerpt.

[tang-soo]

Mine too. Very nicely juxtaposed with the article excerpt.

The credit for this comparison must go to my small group leader who read the article and the passage from Job last night during our Bible study. He enjoys discussing the glory of our Lord and he used this as an illustration.

[Cronos]

The force is strong in this one.....

I find your lack of faith disturbing.....

[Sofa King]

I think he means that a note 57 octaves below a c should be a c, not a b flat.

[LibertyThug]

bookmark for later reading

[tang-soo]

bttt

[Charles Martel]

If your'e so smart, how many weeks are there is a light year?

Here's what I want to know: Is a ship that can make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs really fast?