Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Southern African Large Telescope reveals too large a black hole

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), Africa’s most powerful eye on the sky, has been used to discover a supermassive black hole in the centre of a modest galaxy, SAGE0536AGN. All but the smallest galaxies are thought to harbour a black hole, but in this case the black hole was found to be thirty times more massive than what one would have expected for this size galaxy. It leaves scientists scratching their heads in pursuit of an explanation.

The presence of a black hole was suspected when the infrared emission from its dusty environs was discovered in 2009 using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Now, scientists from the United Kingdom SALT Consortium, Jacco van Loon from Keele University and Anne Sansom from the University of Central Lancashire used the SALT to take a spectrum of the galaxy. The spectrum showed emission at particular wavelengths related to hydrogen gas, but shifted to redder wavelengths than on Earth due to the large recession velocity of the galaxy, placing it at a distance from which light took 1.86 billion years to reach us. This already indicated that the central engine of the galaxy must be very luminous. The spread in wavelength of the hydrogen emission betrayed gas moving very rapidly in the strong gravitational field of the black hole, and from this the mass of the black hole was determined to be 350 million times that of the Sun. For comparison, this is a hundred times more massive than the black hole that lives in the centre of our own Milky Way. However, when they also measured the mass of the galaxy itself, from the absorption of light by heavier atoms, they were surprised to find the galaxy’s mass to be a mere 25 billion times that of the Sun, less than that of the Milky Way!

Says Jacco van Loon: “For a long time, scientists have been trying to explain the good observed relationship between the mass of the black hole and the mass of the galaxy host. Now they will need to start explaining how some systems can deviate so much from this relationship.”
Because the galaxy was only found by accident in the distant background of a survey meant to study a very nearby dwarf galaxy, surveys aimed at finding extragalactic supermassive black holes may have missed more systems like SAGE0536AGN. SALT may thus have opened a new window, and a new view of how galaxies and their central engines have grown over time.

An image of the galaxy SAGE0536AGN, from the Vista Magellanic Clouds survey. The galaxy is the elliptical object in the centre of the image. (Credit: Vista Magellanic Clouds survey)

Night Log 2015-09-29

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Chris, Eben, Eric, Mexican delegation

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Extensive heavy clouds tonight. No observations possible.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-28

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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A frustrating night with a lot of cloud. Managed to take data for:

2015-1-SCI-037 P2 HRS (x2) (Exploring the limits of HRS for measuring Exoplanet Radial Velocities)
2015-1-SCI-045 P3 RSS (x2) (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae)
2015-1-SCI-059 P4 RSS (x2) (Long term monitoring of the SMC LBV S18 and LMC sgB[e] star S134)

Monday, September 28, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-27

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Lunar eclipse!!

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Too humid to observe tonight. The lunar eclipse was magnificent!

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-26

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Night lost to bad weather.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-25

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Mostly clear, bright night with around 2 arcsec seeing. Clouds rolled over around 2:30 forcing us to close.

Data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-063 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-1-SCI-028 P1 HRS (Looking for evidence of massive white dwarfs in symbiotic novae)
2015-1-SCI-037 P2 HRS (Exploring the limits of HRS for measuring Exoplanet Radial Velocities)
2015-1-SCI-011 P3 RSS (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-045 P3 RSS (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae)
2015-1-SCI-005 P3 RSS (Time variability of emerging BAL QSOs.)

Friday, September 25, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-24

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: evil brommers everywhere

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A rather busy bright clear night with mostly very good seeing. Some engineering data taken as well as data taken for:

2015-1-DDT-006 P1 RSS (DDT request)
2015-1-SCI-065 P1 RSS (x2) (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-013 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-028 P1 HRS (Looking for evidence of massive white dwarfs in symbiotic novae)
2015-1-SCI-037 P2 HRS (Exploring the limits of HRS for measuring Exoplanet Radial Velocities)
2015-1-SCI-017 P3 RSS (Observations of evolved massive stars revealed with Spitzer and WISE)

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-23

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Elias for a short visit

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A productive night with stretches of thin cloud at times and seeing mostly less than 2 arcsec.

2015-1-SCI-071 P1 RSS (Observing candidate Lyman Alpha Nebulae at z~2)
2015-1-SCI-013 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-038 P1 RSS (Determining galaxy group member redshifts )
2015-1-SCI-006 P1 SCAM (Dark energy and the expansion rate of the Universe from quasar monitoring.)
2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (x3) (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-005 P3 RSS (Time variability of emerging BAL QSOs.)
2015-1-SCI-065 P3 RSS (x2) (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-059 P4 RSS (x2) (Long term monitoring of the SMC LBV S18 and LMC sgB[e] star S134)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-22

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Elias and Sudhanshu

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A frustrating night with a lot of regular thick clouds interrupting all attempts at observing during middle of night. Managed to get some data at start and end of night for:

2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-052 P2 RSS (Finding the redshift and ionization of WISE-selected QSOs)
2015-1-SCI-013 P2 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-017 P3 SCAM (Observations of evolved massive stars revealed with Spitzer and WISE)

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-21

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Chris, Paul, Keith, Etienne, Johan

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Tracker rho drive repaired at start of night, then awful seeing for the rest of the night (routinely 3-5 arcsec). Still managed to take data for:

2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-065 P3 RSS (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-059 P4 RSS (Long term monitoring of the SMC LBV S18 and LMC sgB[e] star S134)

Monday, September 21, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-20

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Rain and clouds early in the evening dissipated early on, resulting a productive night with seeing mostly below 2 arcsec and data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-063 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-1-SCI-038 P1 RSS (Determining galaxy group member redshifts )
2015-1-SCI-046 P1 RSS (Redshift determination of newly confirmed galaxy clusters)
2015-1-SCI-071 P1 RSS (Observing candidate Lyman Alpha Nebulae at z~2)
2015-1-SCI-013 P1 HRS (x2) (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-065 P2 RSS (x3) (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-056 P2 RSS (Watching Pluto for changes in its spectrum as it rotates.)

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-19

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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A frustrating night with wind changes, poor seeing and later clouds that forced us to close early.

Data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-038 P1 RSS (Determining galaxy group member redshifts )
2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-065 P3 RSS (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-017 P3 HRS (Observations of evolved massive stars revealed with Spitzer and WISE)

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-18

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Windy night with high humidity and clouds hitting us early in the evening. Managed to do a block for one program before closing:

2015-1-SCI-017 P3 HRS (Observations of evolved massive stars revealed with Spitzer and WISE)

Then thick clouds and high humidity the rest of the night.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-17

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others: Ted and visitors

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Night lost to bad weather.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-16

SA: Brent
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Mostly clear for first half of night but with rapidly varying temperatures and humidity with mediocre seeing. Closed soon after midnight due to ridge cloud.

Data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-063 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far.)

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-15

SA: Marissa
SO: Fred
Others: Brent, Enrico

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Sub-arcsec seeing through scattered clouds at the start of the evening. It cleared around midnight and stable seeing continued, leading to a productive night. We especially gave attention to the UNC program involving a student thesis.


Data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-063 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-1-SCI-025 P1 RSS (Trying to confirm existence of new dwarf Galaxy )
2015-1-SCI-005 P1 RSS (Time variability of emerging BAL QSOs.)
2015-1-SCI-065 P2 RSS (x7) (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-14

SA: Marissa
SO: Fred
Others: Enrico

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Scattered thunder showers kept us closed.

No data taken.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-13

SA: Marissa
SO: Fred
Others: Enrico, Keith & Eben

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A challenging night of observing through a uniform haze of thin high cloud. Technical difficulties at the start of the night and also toward the end, limited science time.

Data taken for:

2015-1-SCI-013 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-011 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching the Milky Way for symbiotic stars)
2015-1-SCI-054 P2 RSS (Tracing the merger histories of luminous red galaxies as a function of their environment)
2015-1-SCI-071 P2 RSS (Observing candidate Lyman Alpha Nebulae at z~2)

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-12

SA: Paul
SO: Fred
Others:

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- Did not open due do cloudy and humid conditions

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-11

SA: Paul
SO: Fred
Others:

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- It wasn't a productive night at the telescope. We closed for a while due to high humidity. Opened a while later to cloudy conditions which made observations difficult. Attempted a number of observations but only managed to get data for the following programs:

2015-1-SCI-065 P1 RSS (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2014-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (Study of the evolution of lenticular galaxies.)

Friday, September 11, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-10

SA: Paul
SO: Fred
Others:

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- Attempted an observation at the start of the night, but clouds and high humidity forced us to close early. Did not open again.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-09

SA: Paul
SO: Fred
Others:

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- Did not open tonight due to bad weather conditions.
- No data taken

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-08

SA: Paul
SO: Thea
Others: Fred

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- Stable weather conditions and no technical issues made for a very productive night. The average seeing was around 1.5''.

- Obtained data for the following programs:

2015-1-SCI-063 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-1-MLT-004 P0 RSS (Deriving the mass of the central super-massive black hole in the core of active galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-065 P1 RSS (x4) (FP Halpha kinematics of RESOLVE galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-013 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds )
2015-1-SCI-041 P1 RSS (Superwinds in luminous starburst galaxies)
2015-1-SCI-054 P2 RSS (Tracing the merger histories of luminous red galaxies as a function of their environment)
2015-1-SCI-017 P3 SCAM (Observations of evolved massive stars revealed with Spitzer and WISE)
2015-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (We aim to study a number of candidate ultracool objects, which should include new brown dwarfs.)

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-07

SA: Paul
SO: Thea
Others: Keith

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- Rainy and wet conditions meant no data was taken tonight.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-06

SA: Paul
SO: Thea
Others:

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- Did not observe tonight due to a technical problem with the tracker.
- No data taken.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-05

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others:

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Tracker still off-line.

No data taken.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-04

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Paul Rabe, Timmy, Thabelo (&Jnr), Luke Tyas (and 26 UCT students in afternoon)

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Entire night lost to tracker being offline.

No data taken.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-03

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Thabelo

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We add just enough time to do a DDT ToO at 20:30 (which was activated 18:40) before we had to close for high humidity.

Data taken for:

2015-1-DDT-005 P0 RSS (Possible counterpart of an X-ray and a neutrino detection )

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-02

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Enrico

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Ice cold, high humidity night with dense fog.

No data taken.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Night Log 2015-09-01

SA: �ric
SO: Veronica
Others: Marissa, Enrico, Ockert

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We could observe only half a target this night, before the weather forced us once again to close, and we could not open again during the night.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Night Log 2015-08-31

SA: �ric
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Could not observe anything tonight, weather prevented us from opening.