Quantum Galaxy: NGC 1277

From Science 2.0:

Black holes are again hitting the headlines. Another record super massive black hole has been unveiled. This time it is galaxy NGC 1277 at the center of which a true monster is discovered to be lurking. Dutch astronomer Remco van den Bosch and co-workers weighed the black hole at the center of this galaxy. They did so by interpreting the stellar kinematics from velocity dispersion measurements obtained with the Marcario Low Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Austin, Texas. They came to the conclusion that the giant weighs in at 17 billion suns.

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