View source for Astronomy:RX J1242−11

{{Infobox Galaxy
| image = [[File:Rxj1242 xray.jpg|220px]]
| caption = A [[Astronomy:Chandra X-ray Observatory|Chandra X-ray Observatory]] image of RX J1242-11.
| name = RX J1242−11
| epoch = [[Astronomy:J2000|J2000]]
| type = elliptical
| ra = {{RA|12|42|36.9}}
| dec = {{DEC|−11|19|35}}
| dist_ly = 650 [[Astronomy:Light-year|Mly]] (200 [[Astronomy:Parsec|Mpc]])<ref name="kom"/>
| z = 
| appmag_v = 
| size_v = 
| constellation name = [[Astronomy:Virgo (constellation)|Virgo]]
| notes = Pair of Galaxies = [KG99] A + [KG99] B.
| names = [[Astronomy:ROSAT|RX]] J1242.6-1119A
}}

'''RX J1242.6−1119A''' (often abbreviated '''RX J1242−11''') is an [[Astronomy:Elliptical galaxy|elliptical galaxy]] located approximately 200 [[Astronomy:Parsec#Megaparsecs and gigaparsecs|megaparsecs]] (about 650 million [[Astronomy:Light-year|light-year]]s) from Earth. According to current interpretations of [[Physics:X-ray|X-ray]] observations made by the [[Astronomy:Chandra X-ray Observatory|Chandra X-ray Observatory]] and [[Astronomy:XMM-Newton|XMM-Newton]], the center of this galaxy is a 100 million [[Astronomy:Solar mass|solar mass]] [[Astronomy:Supermassive black hole|supermassive black hole]] which was observed to have [[Astronomy:Tidal disruption event|tidally disrupted a star]] (in 1992 or shortly before).<ref name="kom">{{Citation  | last1 = Komossa | first1 = S.
  | last2 = Halpern | first2 = J. | last3 = Schartel | first3 = N. | last4 =  Hasinger | first4 = G. |last5 = Santos-Lleo | first5 = M. | last6 = Predehl | first6 = P. | title = A Huge Drop in the X-Ray Luminosity of the Nonactive Galaxy RX J1242.6-1119A, and the First Postflare Spectrum: Testing the Tidal Disruption Scenario 
  | journal = The Astrophysical Journal Letters
  | volume = 603 | pages = L17–L20  | date = May 2004  | issue = 1
 |arxiv = astro-ph/0402468 |bibcode = 2004ApJ...603L..17K |doi = 10.1086/382046 | s2cid = 53724998
 }}</ref> The discovery is widely considered to be the first strong evidence of a supermassive black hole ripping apart a star and consuming a portion of it.<ref>NASA: [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/feb/HQ_04061_black_hole.html "Giant Black Hole Rips Apart Unlucky Star"]</ref>

==Location in the sky==
The location of RX J1242.6-1119A, as seen from Earth, is less than one degree to the northeast of [[Astronomy:Sombrero Galaxy|Messier 104, the Sombrero Galaxy]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://wn.com/Komossa%27s_Object Komossa's Object]
* [http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2004/rxj1242/ Chandra X-Ray Observatory Photo Album – February 18, 2004]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070710100247/http://scienzapertutti.lnf.infn.it/Quark/03/Ottobre/quark/newP/41QuarkBuchiNeri.pdf 41QuarkBuchiNeri.pdf]

{{DEFAULTSORT:RX J1242-11}}
[[Category:Elliptical galaxies]]
[[Category:Virgo (constellation)]]
[[Category:ROSAT objects]]



{{Sourceattribution|RX J1242−11}}