Entertainment
Webb telescope finds Milky Way black hole never stops strobing light
Scientists have discovered that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way buzzes with activity, shooting out a nonstop stream of flares into space.
A new study using NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a variety of light coming from the black hole Sagittarius A* — or rather its accretion disk, the ring of rapidly spinning material that surrounds it.
While some flares are reminiscent of the ephemeral flickers of a candle, lasting just seconds, others are gigantic eruptions, blasting out a half-dozen incredibly bright jets on a daily basis.
These new findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters this week, could help astrophysicists better understand black holes and how they interact with the gas and dust around them. They also may provide new insight into the evolution of the Milky Way.
“We saw constantly changing, bubbling brightness,” said Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, the Northwestern University astronomer who led the study, in a statement. “And then boom! A big burst of brightness suddenly popped up. Then, it calmed down again. We couldn’t find a pattern in this activity. It appears to be random.”
The first image of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, released to the public in May 2022.
Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration
Scientists at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which runs Webb and the Hubble Space Telescope, are calling this the longest, most-detailed research of Sagittarius A*, pronounced “A-star,” to date. The study is based on 48 hours of observation time in eight to 10-hour durations over the course of a year.
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Black holes were little more than a theory 50 years ago — a kooky mathematical solution to a physics problem — and even astronomers at the top of their field weren’t entirely convinced they existed.
Today, not only are supermassive black holes accepted science, they’re getting their pictures taken by a collection of enormous, synced-up radio dishes on Earth. Supermassive black holes, millions to billions of times more massive than the sun, are thought to lurk at the center of virtually all large galaxies.
What we know is this: Falling into a black hole is certain death. Any cosmic stuff that wanders too close reaches a point of no return. But scientists have observed something weird at the edge of black holes’ accretion disks, similar to the swirl of water around a bathtub drain. A tiny amount of that stuff can suddenly get rerouted. When that happens, high-energy particles can get flung outward as a pair of jets, blasting in opposite directions, though astronomers haven’t quite figured out how they work.
The video above shows some of the Webb telescope data from April 7, 2024, covering 9.5 hours of observation, with a big flare appearing toward the end.
Yusef-Zadeh and team are trying to help get to the bottom of that. They’ve likened the new observations to solar flares, but capable of shining across 26,000 light-years of space. Webb saw brightness changes over short timescales, meaning they are coming from the black hole’s inner disk, not far outside its so-called event horizon, that previously mentioned point of no return.
Yusef-Zadeh speculates the biggest and brightest flares are like magnetic reconnection events, a process in which two magnetic fields crash and release accelerated particles, traveling near the speed of light. The shortest bursts may derive from minor disturbances in the accretion disk, similar to solar flares which occur when the sun’s magnetic field jumbles, compresses, and erupts.
“Of course, the processes are more dramatic because the environment around a black hole is much more energetic and much more extreme,” he said. “But the Sun’s surface also bubbles with activity.”
The next step will be to observe Sagittarius A* for a longer, uninterrupted period of time to see if the flares repeat or are indeed random.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
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Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
