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Integral catches a new erupting black hole

27 November 2006

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This animation consists of a sequence of two images taken by the IBIS/ISGRI instrument on board ESA’s Integral gamma-ray observatory, and it shows the galactic centre region in hard X-rays.

In one frame, the bright X-ray nova IGR J17497-2821 (indicated by the arrow) is seen during its discovery outburst, while the other frame is the same field as observed prior to the nova event. The other variable sources are well known X-ray binaries. The two separate images can be downloaded here: image 1, image 2

Credits: ESA/ISDC/IBIS/R.Walter

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XMM-Newton’s image of X-ray nova IGR J17497-2821

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This X-ray image was obtained by ESA's XMM-Newton satellite during the night of 22-23 September 2006, and shows the intense X-ray emission of the X-ray nova IGR J17497-2821. The X-ray nova was first spotted by ESA’s Integral gamma-ray observatory.

Credits: ESA/EPIC/ISDC

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Artist's representation of an X-ray nova. The compact object on the right - a neutron star or a black hole – ‘swallows’ gas from a companion star. The gas swirls in a disk around the compact object at very high velocity (close to the speed of light) and emits X-rays.

Credits: ESA

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Euler’s view of X-ray nova IGR J17497-2821

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This image shows the field around the new X-ray nova IGR J17497-2821 (circled as source number 1) obtained by the Leonhard Euler (ground) telescope on 21 September 2006.

This source was found to have brightened by about 1 magnitude compared to earlier observations of this region.

Credits: Geneva Observatory

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Integral factsheet

ESA steps towards a great black hole census Where are the supermassive black holes hiding?Integral sees a GRB out of the corner of its eye Integral catches stellar 'corpses' by the tail Exceptional manoeuvres enable unique Integral science Integral identifies supernova rate for Milky Way Integral: three years of insight into the violent cosmos Star eats companion Three satellites needed to bring out ‘shy star’Integral rolls back history of Milky Way's super-massive black hole ESA's Integral detects closest cosmic gamma-ray burst Observations: Seeing in the gamma-ray wavelengths

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