GRO J1655-40 is coming to Earth?

[Rand45]

Is that true is the black hole GRO J1655-40 really going to consume Earth and our Solar system. I've read it's going 250,000 miles per hour and is headed straight for us. Is that true? How far away is the Black Hole and which direction is it going. Away from us or toward us? The article igot this from is linked here
http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/02-12-2002/18639-0/

[Strange]

It is about 11,000 light years away. Even if it were heading towards us at 250,000mph (it isn't) then I make that about 30 million years before it arrives.

However, it is orbiting the galaxy (as we are) not heading towards us.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRO_J1655-40

[Van Rijn]

I got distance information and other basic details in about 30 seconds by Googling "GRO J1655-40".

Maybe we should start encouraging Rand45 to look this stuff up for himself rather than giving it to him? Just a suggestion, but if he's going to keep bringing up this type of stuff, maybe it would be better to give hints rather than direct information, since it seems to concern him so, and he really should learn how to deal with it himself.

[Strange]

Good point. Rand45, if you want to work out how long it will take something to travel this distance at this speed, without worrying about converting all the different units, you can just type 11000 light years / 250000 mph in years into Google.

[LaurelHS]

You do know Pravda is a notorious tabloid, right, Rand45?

[Strange]

I made the mistake of following that link; an amazing mixture of purple prose, garbled factoids and made up nonsense.

[Nowhere Man]

Rand, to elaborate on what Laurel says: Do not believe anything you read on the Pravda site. It's about as trustworthy as the (late and unlamented) Weekly World News or, dare I say it, the Sun.

In fact, you'd be better off to stay away from the Pravda site completely. There are far better, far more informative pages to be read on the WWW. For instance, just about any 404 page.

Fred

[Gillianren]

I lament The Weekly World News. It was funny, and they had the decency to admit they made it all up.

[Skyfire]

I followed the Pravda link. After only scanning 2 articles my brain seemed to be screaming "Help!!! Let me out of here!" .... needless to say I left quickly at that point ....

[NEOWatcher]

There are far better, far more informative pages to be read on the WWW. For instance, just about any 404 page.
:clap:

[Arneb]

I lament The Weekly World News. It was funny, and they had the decency to admit they made it all up.
+1

The fact that the WWN admitted it was all made up seems to be just about the only difference between them and the newfangled pravda. I looked around a bit there and it was :liar::sick:

[Garrison]

Rand45 just a couple of days ago you posted a similar sort of claim about an asteroid hitting Antarctica and you received some very good advice, it's sad to see you haven't taken it onboard.

[R.A.F.]

Rand45 just a couple of days ago you posted a similar sort of claim about an asteroid hitting Antarctica and you received some very good advice, it's sad to see you haven't taken it onboard.

Same "advice" as I gave on Rand45's other thread...consider the source.

[Celestial Mechanic]

Back in the days of the USSR the two major newspapers were Pravda ("Truth") and Izvestia ("News"). Ordinary folks used to quip there's no news (izvestia) in Pravda and no truth (pravda) in Izvestia. Looks like things haven't changed much. :D

[edcoyle]

And The NY Times says so.

[AGN Fuel]

As a general rule of thumb, sentences like:


The horrid black hole called GRO J1655-40 is approaching planet Earth with great strides. It might swallow our Sun, like a huge crocodile.

...are not generally consistent with a creditable scientifically researched article.

[captain swoop]

And The NY Times says so.

What does the NY Times say?

[dgavin]

And The NY Times says so.

So??

The NY Times is just as prone to hyperbole as anyone else. Why should that impress anyone?

[Daffy]

So??

The NY Times is just as prone to hyperbole as anyone else. Why should that impress anyone?

Really? You want to compare the NYT to Pravda? May I ask for examples?

[dgavin]

Really? You want to compare the NYT to Pravda? May I ask for examples?


Name one newspaper (that isn't a science journal), that is not influced in what it reports based on funding from politcal sources, or editors or owners with political agenda's.

I don't consider any newspaper at all reliable. Some are just more prone to bad reporting then others.

Case and Point how about the article where NY Times compared the DEA with Fast and Furious movies. Talk about a load of tripe on that one.

Also how about the Journalist Judith Miller? that published quite a number of inacurate and sometime completely false articles while employed by NY Times.

[Swift]

Let's not get into a journalism debate.

edcoyle, you need to give a lot more detail, like a link and an indication of the content of that link, or people will just ignore such random, vague postings.

[Don Alexander]

This just made my evening. Hilarious. The funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

There are actually several more microquasars in the galaxy...

[Jeff Root]

I'm seeing this thread for the first time.

Ignoring Don's new post, I'm wondering about the content
of the Wikipedia article Strange linked in post #2:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRO_J1655-40

Did it's author get confused about the speed? I don't
understand what is meant.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

[glappkaeft]

It's the calculated orbital speed of GRO-J1655-40 around the Milky Way although its orbit isn't that well known. The solar system for instance orbits the Milky Way with a velocity of 220 km/s.

[Jeff Root]

I still don't get what that article is trying to say about
the speed of GRO J1655-40 versus the speed of the Sun.
It doesn't mention a figure of 220 km/s, but does give
a speed of 20 km/s. I don't see that it gives enough
info to fit the pieces together. I can't tell whether it is
just incomplete, or wrong, or I misunderstand.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

[Strange]

I still don't get what that article is trying to say about
the speed of GRO J1655-40 versus the speed of the Sun.
It doesn't mention a figure of 220 km/s, but does give
a speed of 20 km/s. I don't see that it gives enough
info to fit the pieces together. I can't tell whether it is
just incomplete, or wrong, or I misunderstand.

It says:

GRO J1655-40 and its companion are moving through the Milky Way at around 112 km/s (250,000 miles per hour)
In other words, GRO J1655-40 is moving at 112km/s relative to the other stars around it, which, as the article goes on to say, fits with the idea it was formed with a supernova that gave it a "kick". (It compares this 112km/s with the 20km/s speed of the Sun relative to its surroundings).

[publiusr]

The only non-asteroid impactor that seems to come really close **might** be this:
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php/20128-DM-61-366