Have NASA astronomers discovered the black hole in the Milky Way’s center where lost socks turn into X rays? Tune in next week to find out. Ute Kraus (Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik)
NASA has found something amazing in our galaxy. Unfortunately, it’s not saying just what it has found — until next week, when it collects enough reporters for a press conference.
Or, if you want it from the horse’s mouth, here is the exciting, taunting first paragraph of a pithy press release from our friends in the national space business:
WASHINGTON — NASA has scheduled a media teleconference Wednesday, May 14, at 1 P.M. EDT, to announce the discovery of an object in our galaxy astronomers have been hunting for more than 50 years. This finding was made by combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with ground-based observations.”
That means I have to wait 5 days before NASA reveals yet another Secret of the Universe. And it better be good. It better be the astronomical equivalent of an X-Box release or a taped conversation between a ranking U.S. Senator and his mistress.
What, oh what, could it be?
My first thought was, “They finally took a picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.” That made sense, especially since Chandra is involved. We commonly see lots of X rays beaming from black holes as gas and other junk spirals in and approaches the speed of light.
But how to know for sure? I did what any professional busy-body in the media would do: I e-mailed unnamed, shadowy sources in the astronomical community to see if they knew what NASA is up to and — more important — if they would be willing to rat out NASA (off the record, of course). I received this response:
Chandra does suggest something energetic, but we already know there is a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center. I just polled a couple of my X-ray colleagues about what it could be given the clues at hand, but no one had any great idea about what we might have been searching for over the last 50 years. Hard to disentangle the usual press-release hype.
Well, no easy answers, it seems. All I can do is use my imagination. If NASA were to find something hidden somewhere in the galaxy, what would it have to be to justify a week of media build-up hype?
The exoplanet where all of my lost socks go? Perhaps there is a wormhole connecting the lint trap in my dryer to the planet. That would be pretty cool.
Or maybe Jimmy Hoffa? Oh, in case you were born in the 1970s or later, and have no idea what I’m talking about, click THIS LINK.
Oh, I know: They found the black hole that the Mafia threw Jimmy Hoffa into.
All I can say, NASA, is this better be good.