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Morning 4: Astronomers are getting closer looks at the core of a quasar 2.5 billion light-years away -- and other news

Here are the top stories for the morning of Dec. 9, 2024

A Hubble Space Telescope image of the core of quasar 3C 273. A coronagraph on Hubble blocks out the glare coming from the supermassive black hole at the heart of the quasar. This allows astronomers to see unprecedented details near the black hole such as weird filaments, lobes, and a mysterious L-shaped structure, probably caused by small galaxies being devoured by the black hole. Located 2.5 billion light-years away, 3C 273 is the first quasar (quasi-stellar object) ever discovered, in 1963. (NASA, ESA, Bin Ren (Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS); Acknowledgment: John Bahcall (IAS); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI))

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.


Astronomers are getting closer looks at the core of a quasar 2.5 billion light-years away

Specifically, it’s a Hubble Space Telescope image of the core of quasar 3C 273. It’s 2.5 billion light-years away from Earth. It was discovered in 1963 and it is the first quasar (quasi-stellar object) ever discovered.

If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking, “Cool! But what is a quasar?” To understand what a quasar is, NASA wants you to picture a region the size of a solar system that pours out 100 to 1,000 times as much light as a galaxy containing a hundred billion stars. It creates a glow that outshines its host galaxy and everything in it.

Quasars are distant galaxies whose bright cores are powered by supermassive black holes. According to NASA, quasars occur “when immense amounts of matter fall into a supermassive black hole, spiraling around it in the form of a disk before entering.” The disk is under extreme gravitational and frictional forces, which causes the gas and dust to heat up, become luminous, and blast material out into the university.

Read full story.


How Santa Senior Helpers are helping brighten the holiday season

The holidays are marked by traditions and time spent with the family.

However, there are some people who are in need of finding the magic of the season.

On Sunday morning, caregiver Krystal Zamorski began her shift with her client, Amal Schmitz.

However, her visit didn’t focus on household tasks, but to wrap Christmas presents while adding a touch of the holiday spirit.

“I’ve been in recovery with physical therapy for the past year and so when my husband travels, I need help with certain things,” Schmitz said.

The 60-year-old suffered a stroke nearly a year ago and it left her with limited mobility while forcing her to re-learn how to walk and use her left hand.

Zamorski is considered a Santa Senior Helper, an off-shoot of Senior Helpers which is a non-medical in-home care provider. The company helps clients year-round but recognized they also need help outside the scope of housekeeping and transportation.

Read more here.


‘Can Dampbell’: HopCat holds Detroit Lions head coach look-a-like contest

The Detroit Lions are gearing up to take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and preparing to keep the winning streak going. Although the Lions had a weekend off, fans stayed busy.

You’re not seeing double. Instead, it’s a Dan Campbell look-a-like contest.

Read more.


‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year

The results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world — or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”?

“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”

Read more here.


Weather: Rainy, mild Monday in Metro Detroit but cold front will return

Grab the umbrella as you head out the door this morning. Widespread rain showers are draping the area as a warm front pushes through the region. However, there is a cold front chasing right behind it so this milder, spring-like snap won’t last long.

Warmer air sticks around today with highs around 50, but will be accompanied by rain through the first half of the day. The cold front will sweep the rain east by the lunch hour bringing drier, but cooler air into the area. Highs fall into the 30s by Wednesday. Lake effect snow showers are likely Tuesday night through Wednesday night, maybe even lingering into early Thursday. As of right now, snowfall totals look to range from a coating to around two inches with greater amounts north of I-69. We will be fine-tuning those amounts as we get closer.




About the Author
Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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