Astronomers make progress in understanding black holes

Space.com : Researchers studying the black hole Cygnus X-1, which is part of a binary-star system, have reported the most detailed look yet at one of the strongest x-ray sources seen from Earth. Using data collected by the Very Large Baseline Array and other instruments, the team has calculated the distance to Cygnus X-1 , the mass of the black hole , and its extreme spin . Fifteen times as massive as the Sun, the black hole spins quickly yet progresses slowly through the galaxy. From such information, the team is beginning to piece together information about the black hole’s state today and draw conclusions about its origins, writes Nola Taylor Redd for Space.com.