Astronomers Measure Spin Speed of Supermassive Black Hole
Researchers have discovered that the "wobble" of an accretion disk formed from a star ripped apart by a supermassive black hole can reveal the black hole's spin speed. This wobble, caused by the Lense-Thirring effect, was observed using NASA's NICER X-ray telescope. The findings suggest that the black hole involved in the event was spinning at less than 25% the speed of light, providing new insights into the history and evolution of supermassive black holes.
