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Astronomers find first-ever star gradually eaten by black hole

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Astronomers have found for the first time a sun-like star being gradually eaten in chunks — as large as three times the size of the Earth — by a supermassive black hole located about 520 million light years from our solar system.

The new revelations will allow scientists to understand further the destructive relationship between the enormous deep space objects.

The nearest-to-Earth supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* is located at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and is four million times bigger than our Sun, according to the research paper published in the journal Nature.

Black holes are massive objects present in nearly the centre of nearly every giant galaxy. It also forms when a giant star dies and collapses under its own weight. These space objects are so powerful that they pull inside everything which enters their event horizon. Not even light can escape from their potent pull.

According to a recent study, astronomers noted that they have identified a supermassive black hole at the centre of a relatively nearby galaxy as its feast is underway eating chunks of the star.

The observation also noted that the size of the consumption is huge as the star passes near the black hole on its elongated oval-shaped obit.

Researchers noted in the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy that the giant star is located at a distance of about 520 million light years from our solar system.

A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). It was observed being plundered by a supermassive black hole at the heart of a spiral-shaped galaxy.

As there are a number of large black holes, this recently discovered is a small one with a mass of a few hundred thousand times larger than the sun.

The data used for the study was from Nasa’s orbiting Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

The cosmic prey was observed orbiting the black hole every 20 to 30 days. As it comes to its one end of the orbit, closing into the celestial hunter, it experiences its stellar atmosphere sucked away, or accreted, each time it passes.

The distance is enough to save the whole star shredded. Such an event is called a “repeating partial tidal disruption.”

After the stellar material is pulled into the black hole, the temperature of the matter increases up to around 3.6 million degrees Fahrenheit (2 million degrees Celsius), resulting in an immense amount of X-rays.

Astrophysicist Rob Eyles-Ferris of the University of Leicester in England, one of the authors of the study said: “What’s most likely to happen is the star’s orbit will gradually decay and it will get closer and closer to the supermassive black hole until it gets close enough to be completely disrupted.”

“That process is likely to take years at least — more likely decades or centuries,” Eyles-Ferris added.

“There are lots of unanswered questions about tidal disruption events and exactly how the orbit of the star affects them,” Eyles-Ferris said. 

“It’s a very fast-moving field at the moment. This one has shown us that new discoveries could come at any time.”

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Instagram releases a kid-focused feature.

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With the help of this new Instagram function, parents will have more control over what their kids do online.

New users between the ages of 13 and 15 will have their Teen Accounts enabled immediately, while current users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia will be gradually transferred to the new accounts over the course of the following 60 days.

Important characteristics of teen accounts

Teen accounts are by default set to private, which limits the display of their posts to authorized followers and keeps non-followers from getting in touch with them.

Restrictions on Teen Messaging: To minimize unwanted encounters, teens are only able to message people they follow or already have a connection with.

Control of Sensitive Content: Tight settings will prevent exposure to potentially dangerous content, like advertisements for cosmetic procedures or violent content.

Parental Control: Guardians can keep an eye on their offspring’s internet behavior, such as direct messaging and content intake.

Positive Content: By allowing teenagers to research interests, like sports, music, or the arts, they can enhance their online experience.

Extra protection

Reminding teenagers to take breaks after 60 minutes of app use is part of the daily limit.

Sleep mode: To encourage sound sleep habits, automatically mute notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Using artificial intelligence to power age verification, underage individuals can be identified and moved to teen accounts.

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Microsoft and BlackRock are set to establish a $30 billion fund for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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AI models, particularly those employed in deep learning and extensive data processing, necessitate considerable computer power, resulting in increased energy usage.

The computational demands of AI have compelled technology firms to interconnect thousands of chips in clusters to attain the requisite data processing capacity, resulting in a significant increase in the demand for specialized data centers.

The investment entity, termed Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, seeks to improve AI supply chains and energy procurement, according to BlackRock and Microsoft.

MGX, the investment firm supported by Abu Dhabi, will serve as a general partner in the fund, while Nvidia (NVDA.O), a manufacturer of AI chips, will provide its expertise.

The collaboration is expected to generate a total investment potential of up to $100 billion, inclusive of loan funding, according to the corporations.

The investments will primarily be in the United States, with the remainder allocated to partner countries, as stated by the firms.

The Financial Times initially reported on the development.

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Pakistan ascends 14 positions in the UN E-Government Index 2024.

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This significant breakthrough signifies Pakistan’s shift from the “Middle EGDI category” to the “High EGDI category” for the first time, indicating considerable improvements in digital government capabilities.

The nation’s E-Government Development Index has risen to 0.5095, an increase from 0.42380 in 2022. Although Pakistan remains behind global leaders such as Denmark (0.9847) and regional leaders like Singapore (0.969) and the Maldives (0.6745), this enhancement is a significant accomplishment.

Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja has reaffirmed the government’s dedication to establishing a digital Pakistan.

During an event in Islamabad on Wednesday, she underscored the necessity for collaborative endeavors to promote innovation among the youth.

She asserted that the private sector ought to have a pivotal role in realizing a digital Pakistan. Shaza Fatima said that the administration is endeavoring to deliver exceptional stable and rapid internet connectivity.

She emphasized that Pakistan’s position in the UN’s e-governance development index had ascended by fourteen points. She stated that we are one of two Asian countries that have advanced from the medium tier to the top tier of digital e-governance, characterizing this as a notable accomplishment.

The Minister of State further asserted that Pakistan has made significant advancements in cyber security, attaining a premier rank in this field.

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