> "If you convert our entire Sun to energy, using Albert Einstein's famous formula E = mc2, that's how much energy has been pouring out from this flare since we began observing it,"
It's a great journalistic quote, but the implication here is that the star's entire mass is being converted to energy as part of this process, which it very obviously isn't. (The black hole is net-gaining mass as a result of all this.)
munchler•3mo ago
“the scientists estimate that the supermassive black hole gobbled a star with a mass at least 30 times greater than that of our Sun.”
So if only 1/30 of the star’s mass was converted to energy, the quote would be correct (and possibly even an understatement).
nvader•3mo ago
This line also stuck out to me. Because it conflates power with energy.
Converting the whole sun to energy gives us a term lets say, X Joules.
It sounds like they're trying to say that much energy pours out of the flare every... second? Or do they just mean since we started observing it, until now, it has ticked up to X?
SoftTalker•3mo ago
"the star wandered too close to a gargantuan black hole"
vkou•3mo ago
It's a great journalistic quote, but the implication here is that the star's entire mass is being converted to energy as part of this process, which it very obviously isn't. (The black hole is net-gaining mass as a result of all this.)
munchler•3mo ago
So if only 1/30 of the star’s mass was converted to energy, the quote would be correct (and possibly even an understatement).
nvader•3mo ago
Converting the whole sun to energy gives us a term lets say, X Joules.
It sounds like they're trying to say that much energy pours out of the flare every... second? Or do they just mean since we started observing it, until now, it has ticked up to X?