Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Astronomy

A black hole changes its feeding habits

Nature volume 540, pages 48–49 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

In the 1980s, the gas surrounding a black hole in a nearby galaxy began to emit much more radiation than before. This change has unexpectedly reversed in the past five years, questioning our understanding of these extreme phenomena.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The variability of Mrk 1018.

Adapted From Michael S. Helfenbein/Yale Univ.

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Kormendy, J. & Ho, L. C. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 51, 511–563 (2013).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. McElroy, R. E. et al. Astron. Astrophys. 593, L8 (2016).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Husemann, B. et al. Astron. Astrophys. 593, L9 (2016).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Antonucci, R. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 31, 473–521 (1993).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Urry, C. M. & Padovani, P. Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacif. 107, 803–845 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Storchi-Bergmann, T., Baldwin, J. A. & Wilson, A. S. Astrophys. J. 410, L11 (1993).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Denney, K. D. et al. Astrophys. J. 796, 134 (2014).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. LaMassa, S. M. et al. Astrophys. J. 800, 144 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cohen, R. D. et al. Astrophys. J. 311, 135 (1986).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Merloni, A. et al. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 452, 69–87 (2015).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Aretxaga, I., Joguet, B., Kunth, D., Melnick, J. & Terlevich, R. J. Astrophys. J. 519, L123 (1999).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Runnoe, J. C. et al. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 455, 1691–1701 (2016).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ruan, J. J. et al. Astrophys. J. 826, 188 (2016).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. MacLeod, C. L. et al. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 457, 389–404 (2016).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shakura, N. I. & Sunyaev, R. A. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 175, 613–632 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stephanie LaMassa is at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA.,

    Stephanie LaMassa

Authors
  1. Stephanie LaMassa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie LaMassa.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Galaxy formation: When the wind blows

Astronomy: Cosmic triangles and black-hole masses

Astrophysics: The MAD world of black holes

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

LaMassa, S. A black hole changes its feeding habits. Nature 540, 48–49 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20480

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20480

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing