ESA - Space Science - New technique for ‘weighing’ black holes

Space Science

About Space Science ESA's 'Cosmic Vision'Science & Technology in-depth

Multimedia

Science images Science videos Animations Downloads Sounds from space

Media centre

Press Releases Press kits ESA Television

Resources

Reference section Glossary FAQs

Science missions

Services

Help Legal disclaimer Comments Subscribe

RSS feeds

ESA Sci on Twitter

Article Images

New technique for ‘weighing’ black holes

16 May 2007

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 613 kb)

The nature of Ultra Luminous X-ray (ULX) sources remains controversial, but many astronomers think that some or most of these objects consist of an intermediate-mass black hole that accretes matter from a companion star.

Recent evidence suggests that a ULX in the galaxy NGC 5408 has a black hole of about 2 000 solar masses.

Credits: NASA

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES TIFF (Size: 18 249 kb)

HI-RES TIFF (Size: )

This artist’s impression depicts a binary system akin to Cygnus X-1. It consists of a blue supergiant star (right) and a black hole.

The black hole is surrounded by a gaseous accretion disk that is fed by the star. Some black holes emit jets along the polar axis, as shown here.

Credits: NASA / Honeywell Max-Q Digital Group / Dana Berry

More about...

XMM-Newton overview XMM-Newton factsheet

X-rays provide a new way to investigate exploding stars XMM-Newton pinpoints intergalactic polluters Mystery spiral arms explained?XMM-Newton finds the leader of the Magnificent Seven in a spin XMM-Newton’s anniversary view of supernova SN 1987A XMM-Newton reveals a magnetic surprise First X-ray detection of a colliding-wind binary beyond the Milky Way Universe contains more calcium than expected X-ray evidence supports possible new class of supernova Black hole boldly goes where no black hole has gone before Supernova leaves behind mysterious object