News
Black Holes Destroying Stars in Our Vicinity
Black Holes are Tearing Stars Apart All Around Us
Galaxy NGC3799 lies around 16 million light years from Earth. Any event observed today within that galaxy took place 16 million years ago. One such event was observed in February 2023 when a surge in brightness in the core was followed by a rapid dimming. The observations that followed revealed that the event was a star being torn apart by a supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy. This is not the first time such an event has been observed but it is the first to be within our galactic backyard, suggesting it may be more common than first thought.
Normal stellar mass black holes form when massive stars reach the end of their lives. The star ceases fusion in its core, the star collapses leading to a rebound visible as supernova explosions. The remains, if the star was massive enough, is a black hole. These black holes tend to be between 5 and 50 times the mass of the Sun, yet at the core of most galaxies seem to be black holes that can be up to several billion times the mass of the Sun.
Our own Milky Way hosts one such supermassive galaxy with its gravitational pull that is so immense that even light cannot escape. The presence of these colossal objects has an influence on the dynamics of the galaxy and can reshape the orbit of stars and gas clouds around them. The origin and evolution of supermassive black holes has been the subject of much debate over recent years.
Researchers at the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy (IfA) have recently published a paper detailing the nearest observation of a supermassive black hole shredding a star. The team co-led by Jason Hinkle (a graduate student from the IfA) used the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) to observe a sharp increase in brightness followed by a fading from the heart of NGC3799.
Following on from the discovery, subsequent observations were conducted using the Asteroid Terrestrial Last Alert System (ATLAS) on Maunaloa, the Keck Observatory, and a few other ground and space-based telescopes. These events occur when a star wanders too close to a supermassive black hole. The intense gravitational pull from the black hole varies greatly with distance so the unsuspecting star is torn apart. Eventually, the star is consumed by the black hole.
The change in brightness was the result of a flare released when the star was consumed. The event has been called ASASSN-23bd and was visible on all-sky cameras. It was unique in its proximity to Earth but unique for other reasons too; more energy released than previous Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), closest discovered using visible light and a faster light curve profile than other events.
It’s not unusual to see stars being ripped apart by supermassive black holes, but the team has observed one closer than ever before. Willem Hoogendam, an IfA graduate student who co-led the study reported “This discovery holds the potential to significantly enhance our comprehension of the growth of supermassive black holes and their accretion of surrounding material.”
News
Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?
The price of gold has climbed to record highs recently and has remained strong through much of April. And, that growth continued until the precious metal traded at around $2,390 per ounce on April 19, 2024. But since, growth in the price of the precious metal has cooled, with gold’s price now hovering around $2,300 per ounce.
This lull in gold’s price may represent an investment opportunity.
In general, investing is centered around buying assets when prices are low and selling them when prices are high – generating a profit on the difference between the two. So, considering the declines in gold’s price over the past few days, now may be the time to make your investment. But is buying gold during this lull in prices really a good idea?
Compare your gold investment options among leading brokers now.
Gold prices have cooled. Should you buy in now?
With gold’s price down from recent highs, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy in. There are several reasons the dip in gold’s price may represent an opportunity to buy. Here are some of the biggest:
Prices may rise again
If looking at a gold price chart shows anything for certain, it shows that changes in the overall growth of the medal come in fits and spurts. Periods of price growth are typically followed by periods of declines and vice versa.
But with inflation rising in recent months – and with gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset that can hedge against inflation – it only makes sense that the price of the precious metal will eventually start to head up again in the future. While attempting to time that directional change may be tricky, buying the precious metal while the price is down gives you the opportunity to take advantage of any upward movement that may be ahead.
Add gold to your portfolio now before prices have a chance to rise.
You may be able to make a quick profit
Gold isn’t known as an asset in which you can earn a quick return, but in today’s market, that may be the case. Don’t forget that in January, gold was trading at just $2,000 per ounce. And, by mid-April, the commodity’s price had climbed to around $2,400 per ounce. That’s about 20% growth in a matter of months, much of which happened since March 1 – an impressive climb for any investment asset.
Perhaps more importantly, gold’s price growth through the beginning of 2024 shows that the commodity doesn’t have to be a buy and hold style investment that you keep in a safety deposit box or precious metal depository for years to come. There’s also the possibility that the commodity’s price could climb further ahead, making it a compelling way to potentially generate a quick profit.
There are other benefits of investing in gold
There are other benefits of investing in gold that have little to do with the price growth seen thus far in 2024 – or the lull in prices seen over the past couple of days. Those benefits include:
- Inflation protection: Gold has long been considered an inflation hedge, and for good reason. When inflation drives the prices of consumer goods and services up – and the value of the dollar down – gold’s price tends to rise. So, it could be used to maintain the value of your portfolio during inflationary economic conditions. That’s important in today’s economic environment as stubborn inflation continues to weigh on the value of the dollar.
- Portfolio diversification: Gold’s price doesn’t always move in the same pattern that bonds or stocks do. So, mixing a reasonable amount of gold into your portfolio (up to 10% of your portfolio assets) as a diversifier could protect you from losses should one or more of your traditional portfolio assets fall in value. “If you have less than 5% – 10% of your net worth in commodities & FX (forex), you should absolutely consider adding exposure to gold and other precious metals,” says Vijay Marolia, money manager and managing partner at the wealth management firm, Regal Point Capital.
The bottom line
Gold’s price has fallen from recent highs – which may represent an opportunity to tap into growth ahead. However, gold isn’t simply a “buy while it’s low and sell while it’s a high” kind of investment opportunity. The commodity can also protect your portfolio from the stubborn inflation we’ve seen thus far in 2024 while acting as a diversification tool that could increase your risk-adjusted portfolio returns. So, consider adding gold to your portfolio today while it has the potential to grow in value.
-
News2 weeks ago
Kevin McCarthy, former House Speaker, seeks revenge
-
News2 weeks ago
Juno discovers massive lava lake on Io
-
News2 weeks ago
Possible Future Colleague of Trump: David Lammy, a Close Associate of Obama
-
News3 weeks ago
Additional Perspectives on the 2024 Eclipse: Views from the Moon and Earth’s Orbit
-
News3 weeks ago
House speaker receives additional request from GOP member to resign or be ousted
-
Entertainment2 weeks ago
Bethenny Frankel reveals that her mother Bernadette Birk passed away from lung cancer
-
News2 weeks ago
Voyager 1 Communications Restored by NASA
-
News2 weeks ago
Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?