Because enquiring minds need to know…

DID YOU KNOW?

At around four months old, babies will begin to roll over in their sleep

An artist’s impression of a black hole sucking in a star

© NASA

Could the black hole at the centre of our galaxy get so big it could swallow the Milky Way?

Aiofe Finnegan

n The supermassive black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy is called Sagittarius A* and weighs approximately 4 million solar masses, or 4 million times the weight of our Sun. This massive monster gobbles up everything that comes close - including light - and grows in size the more material it takes in. The heavier this gargantuan gobbler becomes, the stronger its gravitational influence, allowing it to suck in even more sustenance. However, even with a massive gravitational reach, there’s not much chance a black hole could eat an entire galaxy. It’s also theorised that there’s a limit to how big they can grow - about 50 billion solar masses.

NR

Do birds swap the wing they put their head under during sleep?

© Getty

Stephen Conn

n Birds often look like they have their heads under a wing when they are just resting their heads on their backs, becoming submerged slightly within their feathers. This can be observed when watching ducks sleeping by a pond. Turning their heads to their backs rests their neck muscles, and they may well readjust this position to stay comfortable throughout the night.